A super-complaint has been filed against police forces in England and Wales over years-long delays in investigating sexual offences.

More than 37,000 sexual offence investigations have taken longer than three years to conclude over the past decade, campaigners said.

More than half of these investigations have taken longer than four years, while some survivors have waited nine years for an outcome or a charging decision, according to the organisations that submitted the rare police super-complaint on Monday.

Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre (CRCC), the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ), Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) and Bindmans LLP said lengthy investigations have become “inhumane and untenable” for survivors. They said police forces could be legally liable for their failure to progress cases, as excessive delays may breach the UK’s obligations under the European convention on human rights (ECHR).

The super-complaint accuses police of routine de-prioritisation of some sexual offence cases, poor collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, and staffing, resourcing and case management issues.

Sexual offence cases taking more than three years to investigate have increased more than sevenfold over the past 10 years, from 533 in 2014-15 to 4,008 in 2024-25, according to freedom of information requests submitted by the organisations to the Home Office and police forces across England and Wales. At the end of March 2025, there were almost 14,000 investigations that had been open for more than three years, the organisations said.

Their research found that investigations lasting between three and four years had increased from 137 cases in 2014-15 to 2,261 cases in 2024-25.

The organisations also surveyed survivors involved in delayed cases and found that more than two-thirds said they were unsure if they would report to the police again.

The super-complaint highlighted the case of a woman who reported childhood sexual abuse, including rape, to the police in December 2014. The alleged perpetrator was arrested soon after and bailed, but was not charged until 2021.

A 2022 trial date was postponed due to the barristers’ strike and was re-listed for 2023. But the woman could no longer cope with the emotional toll of supporting the prosecution and withdrew from the case.

She said: “I find it difficult to bring myself to explain the level of pure disappointment I feel towards the police. The police are supposed to be a body that protects citizens. The police have not just failed me, but many others.

“It is truly inhumane to put a victim through a process lasting nine years. I have been disappointed by the so-called justice system under which we are meant to feel safe.”

The police super-complaints system allows designated organisations to raise issues on behalf of the public about harmful patterns or trends in policing. The organisations’ complaint comes at a time of unprecedented delays and challenges across the criminal justice system, particularly in sexual offence cases.

The long wait for police investigations, coupled with delays in the court system, has meant that reporting rape and other sexual offences has become increasingly difficult and re-traumatising for survivors, the organisations said. It also means that suspects could spend years released under investigation due to changes to the law around bail.

The organisations have called for an audit by all forces to establish how many survivors’ cases are effectively stuck in the system.

Ellie Ball, an independent sexual violence adviser manager at CRCC, said: “These survivors report to the police in good faith, only to have their cases repeatedly de-prioritised and pushed to the back of an informal waiting list for justice.

“Not only does this prevent survivors from being able to move forward with their lives, it also leaves many with a deep sense of mistrust and disillusionment, that their traumatic experiences can be treated with such seeming indifference and apathy.”

She added: “The fact that three, four and five year-long investigations can appear almost unremarkable now to those working within the system, points to the need for an urgent wake-up call, and effective solutions.”

Maxime Rowson, head of policy and public affairs at RCEW, said survivors were “being asked to engage with a process that no longer resembles a functioning justice system”.

She added that in some cases prolonged delays “prevent justice altogether, as survivors understandably withdraw due to stress and distress, memories fade, and perpetrators pass away before cases reach trial”.

A spokesperson for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services said: “Rape and serious sexual offences are devastating crimes that can have lifelong impacts. Many victims and survivors struggle to come forward, being unable to access support or out of fear of not being believed. It is crucial that the police, together with other public services, do all they can to respond effectively.

“Alongside the College of Policing and Independent Office for Police Conduct, we will jointly assess this super-complaint.”

• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html