Victim’s Right to Review (VRR) requests

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.022637

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. How many Victim’s Right to Review (VRR) requests were submitted to your force in 2021?

2. How many of the VRR requests received were “qualifying” cases for VRR?

3. Cases are non-qualifying when they fall within the criteria below. Please state how many cases were deemed to be non-qualifying for each criterion below.
(a) Cases where no suspect has been identified and interviewed, for instance investigations that are filed ‘at source’;
(b) Cases where charges are brought in respect of some (but not all) allegations made or against some (but not all) possible suspects;
(c) Cases where a charge is brought that relates to the matter complained about by the victim but the offence charged differs from the crime that was recorded; for instance the suspect is charged with common assault but an offence of actual bodily harm has been recorded;
(d) Cases which are concluded by way of out of court disposal; and
(e) Cases where the victim retracts their complaint or refuses to co-operate with the investigation and a decision is therefore taken not to charge/not to refer the case to the CPS for a charging decision.

4. How many of those VRR requests concerned reports of rape, sexual assault or domestic violence?

5. How many of these VRR requests were deemed to be non-qualifying?

6. Please give the numbers that were non-qualifying for each criterion.

7. Of the qualifying VRRs in 2021, how many resulted in:
(a) The original decision being overturned or further enquiries being made;
(b) Upheld the original NFA decision;
(c) Have yet to be determined.

8. Of the qualifying VRRs in 2021 concerning domestic or sexual violence, how many resulted in:
(a) The original decision being overturned or further enquiries being made;
(b) Upheld the original NFA decision;
(c) Have yet to be determined.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Please note the following:
• Data is not held for VRR rejections.
• Prior to 2022 only the qualifying VRR’s received were recorded.
• As of January 2022 the VRR requests that are rejected will be included in our data collection.

Q1 - How many Victim’s Right to Review (VRR) requests were submitted to your force in 2021?

Please note that, as stated above, this data is recorded.

Q2 - How many of the VRR requests received were “qualifying” cases for VRR?

331 Qualifying cases were received.

Q3 - Cases are non-qualifying when they fall within the criteria below. Please state how many cases were deemed to be non-qualifying for each criterion below.
(a) Cases where no suspect has been identified and interviewed, for instance investigations that are filed ‘at source’;
(b) Cases where charges are brought in respect of some (but not all) allegations made or against some (but not all) possible suspects;
(c) Cases where a charge is brought that relates to the matter complained about by the victim but the offence charged differs from the crime that was recorded; for instance the suspect is charged with common assault but an offence of actual bodily harm has been recorded;
(d) Cases which are concluded by way of out of court disposal; and
(e) Cases where the victim retracts their complaint or refuses to co-operate with the investigation and a decision is therefore taken not to charge/not to refer the case to the CPS for a charging decision.

This data is not recorded.

Q4 - How many of those VRR requests concerned reports of rape, sexual assault or domestic violence?

(Qualifying cases only):
Rape – 105;
Sexual Assault – 22;
Domestic Violence – 80.

Q5 - How many of these VRR requests were deemed to be non-qualifying?

This data is not recorded.

Q6 - Please give the numbers that were non-qualifying for each criterion.

This data is not recorded.

Q7 - Of the qualifying VRRs in 2021, how many resulted in:
(a) The original decision being overturned or further enquiries being made;

86

(b) Upheld the original NFA decision;

166

(c) Have yet to be determined.

79

Q8 - Of the qualifying VRRs in 2021 concerning domestic or sexual violence, how many resulted in:
(a) The original decision being overturned or further enquiries being made;

Domestic – 17;
Sexual Violence – 37

(b) Upheld the original NFA decision;

Domestic – 48;
Sexual Violence – 60

(c) Have yet to be determined.

Domestic – 12;
Sexual Violence – 33