Northampton Guardians 'delighted' police to get more training on non-contact sexual offences
The training is being rolled out across England and Wales following Angiolini Inquiry after the conviction of former serving police officer Wayne Couzens.
Last updated 17th Feb 2025
Frontline police officers and staff are getting improved training on how to respond to non-contact sexual offences through a course designed with the help of the mother of murdered student Libby Squire.
The online learning module has already been completed by more than 2,000 officers and is being rolled out across England and Wales in response to a recommendation made by the Angiolini Inquiry, which looked into how the serving police officer and voyeur Wayne Couzens slipped through the net to go on and kidnap, rape and murder Sarah Everard in 2021.
"It's so important that we encourage police officers to take non-contact offences seriously," explained Lisa Squire, speaking to Sky News. "I'm really pleased to see it come together."
A non-contact sexual offence is any sort of sexual gesture that is unwanted and not a contact. It includes upskirting, voyeurism and exposing yourself to others.
Ms Squire thinks Pawel Relowicz exposed himself to Libby months before he raped and killed her. During his trial, the jury heard Relowicz had a string of past non-contact sexual offences, including masturbating in public.
"If the activity is called out it will start to help"
Northampton Guardians was set up in 2016 following the death of India Chipchase in the town. Her killer had previously been in contact with police over a sexual assault in the weeks before he attacked India.
Gill Goodship is a Trustee and Team leader at Northampton Guardians. They support people on nights out in the town, and have had training with Project Vigilance with Thames Valley Police to target sexual violence on nights out.
She says non-contact sexual offences should be taken seriously:
"If that lower level activity is called out at the time it will start to help, and to be reinforced by police as well, comes at it from all angles and I think that's really important."
Gill says in the years they've been active in the town attitudes towards non-contact sexual sexual offences haven't changed:
"On a weekly basis sadly we see that type of behaviour in the town where we operate, and I know that other organisations like ours also see it. And I think any training that the force can receive would be welcome."
She feels it's sad that for many young women these types of crimes are seen as inevitable.
"That's so sad, and we really need to do more about it."
Data from 2022 shows the overwhelming majority of sexual exposure crimes and offenders do not come in contact with the police.
There is some evidence that greater levels of interaction with victims during sexual exposure may be a risk factor for offenders who move to contact sexual offending.