Rape conviction rates are dismal – it’s no wonder women have lost hope

In a damning assessment, the government’s ‘rape tsar’ says she has so little faith in the police’s commitment to investigating rape, she wouldn’t even report one herself. Where does that leave the rest of us, asks Charlotte Proudman

Emily Hunt, the government’s former ‘rape tsar’, said: ‘I don’t think I could ever report a crime to the police in this country again’ (PA)

For many rape survivors, Emily Hunt was a symbol of hope. As a survivor herself, the government’s so-called “rape tsar” spoke from a position of lived experience, and with a burning passion, about changing a broken criminal justice system.

Hunt, 43, had served as the Ministry of Justice’s independent adviser to its Rape Review for the past two years. During this time, she successfully implemented a 24-hour sexual abuse helpline and championed Operation Soteria Bluestone, a collaborative policing model designed to change for the better how police handle sexual abuse and rape.

Yesterday, she announced her resignation. Why?