Wiltshire’s police and crime commissioner Philip Wilkinson is funding a new women’s protection squad to “dramatically improve” the detection rates for sex attacks – which he says are “appalling”.

Mr Wilkinson said a tough new drive against sex attackers will be as “intense” as the fight against terrorists.

The specialist VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) Squad will initially be 16-strong and will cost £760,000 to fund.

The move comes after Mr Wilkinson damned the current detection rate of rape cases in the county, where only four in every 100 reported cases result in a charge or a summons to court.

However this has risen from 3.8 per cent in October 2020 to 4.1 per cent in October 2021. 

The conviction rate for rape cases once they reach court in Wiltshire is 86 per cent.

Mr Wilkinson says in his new Police and Crime Plan 2022-2025 that he is working “to ensure those figures improve dramatically”.

He told this newspaper: “While Wiltshire’s figure improved in the 12 months up to October 2021, I accept it isn’t good enough.

“It is appallingly low and a key area for focus. My new police and crime plan will ensure enough resources and capability is available to Wiltshire Police to continue to improve these detections.”

His first step in providing the force with more resources is giving the funding for Wiltshire Chief Constable Kier Pritchard to create the VAWG Squad. 

This will be led by a police chief inspector and two inspectors dedicated to focussing on rape and sexual offences and four officers and staff constantly reviewing progress on investigating rape and sex attacks. It will also include five digital media investigators who will probe social media and other technology like phone records for evidence.

Mr Wilkinson said: “Policing across the UK is under incredible scrutiny and it is clear the public has lost faith, confidence and trust in the very people who are meant to protect them.

“Wiltshire isn’t immune to this and seismic culture change in society, and within the police service itself, is desperately needed and is precisely why tackling violence against women and girls is a key focus in my new police and crime plan.

“We are now starting to see a commitment to tackling this epidemic in the same multi-agency way we tackle home-grown terrorism, and with as much intensity. Only that way can women and girls have confidence in the police and criminal justice system that is there to protect them.

“Both myself and the Chief Constable are truly serious in tackling this abhorrent culture of violence and we are ensuring changes are made – close to home and no matter how uncomfortable this makes us.”