City academic recognised in King’s Birthday Honours for Services to Victims of Sexual Violence

Professor Hohl’s research has resulted in transformational change in the police response to sexual violence, with direct benefits to victims.

This has been achieved through research excellence and sustained collaborative working that bridges the chasm between academia and police forces for the benefit of those harmed by sexual violence.

Rape prosecution rates of less than two per cent and poor victim experiences are the hallmarks of the justice gap for sexual violence victims. To change this, Katrin co-led Operation Soteria, a groundbreaking, innovative academic-police collaboration to radically improve rape investigations.

She co-developed the theory behind the programme and is the joint architect of the first National Operating Model for rape and sexual offences (the NOM).

This led to sustained, collaborative working between academics, police forces, the Crown Prosecution Service, the voluntary sector, civil service, and government.

All 43 police forces in England and Wales are now implementing it. Soteria has reversed the steady decline in rape prosecutions, with rape charge rates doubling and tripling in pathfinder and early adopter forces. Victims report far better experiences and some have described the difference as ‘night and day’.

Professor Hohl also produces innovative research on the risk assessment tool police forces in England and Wales must use at every domestic abuse incident they attend.

This research has led to changes in the risk assessment tool to help police keep more domestic abuse victims safe from further harm.

In 2023, her research formed part of the evidence that led to the landmark case of the Kellie Sutton inquest that ruled her domestic-abuse related suicide an ‘unlawful killing’ and identified critical errors in the police risk assessment.

Her rapid response research also informed the police response to domestic abuse during Covid-19 lockdowns where she produced rigorous, scientific evidence in near-real time to inform police responses to domestic abuse during lockdowns.

Her findings and recommendations shaped police understanding of the impact of lockdowns on domestic abuse, and some police forces increased allocation of resources to domestic abuse based on her research and advice.

Professor Hohl is City’s inaugural Lord Mayor’s Fellow working on research, dissemination and engagement activities related to combatting violence against women and girls, which is one of the key civic priorities of the current Lord Mayor of London.

In February 2024, she was appointed Independent Advisor to the Government’s Rape Review.

It is a tremendous honour to receive this award for something I care deeply about, improving policing and criminal justice for victim-survivors of sexual violence. There is so much more left to do, and I see the award as a recognitionas well as a responsibility to carry on.

My warmest congratulations to Katrin on this special and very well-deserved recognition of her achievements. Her research and commitment to collaborations beyond academia has significantly improved the policing of sexual violence and domestic abuse for victims.

In the School of Policy & Global Affairs, we produce impactful research that can shape and influence policy. I am delighted to hear of this honour for Katrin.

Violence against women and girls has devastating consequences for its victims and survivors, and society at large and Katrin’s vital research does much to address this.