Almost two in five revenge porn cases in region dropped despite suspect being identified, figures show

Data from the two police forces showed 2,575 cases were reported to officers between April 2015 and the end of 2021 – with at least 1,000 being dropped.

The investigations were shut because the victim did not support police action despite there being a suspect and 71 cases were also closed with no suspect.

In the West Midlands, there were 2,575 cases with 630 axed despite a suspect being found with a further 37 investigations dropped, or 38.8 per cent overall.

Meanwhile in Staffordshire there were 855 cases with 370 being pulled despite a suspect being found and 34 without – totalling at least 47.3 per cent overall.

Refuge CEO Ruth Davison said survivors of the crime, who are overwhelmingly women, may decide not to support further police action for many reasons.

She said: "It's very rare for threat or sharing of intimate images to happen in isolation without other forms of domestic abuse. Our Naked Threat research found that 72 per cent of women who have experienced threats to share were threatened by a current or former partner – and for the vast majority of these women, this isn't the only way they are abused."

Ms Davison said many victims will be under pressure from perpetrators not to support police action for fear of what they will do to them. She added that women's trust in the police is "at rock bottom" and impacting their confidence to report crimes committed against them.

The offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress – so-called "revenge porn" – came into force in April 2015 and carries a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment in England and Wales.

It was extended in June 2021 to include threats to share intimate images, following months of campaigning spearheaded by domestic abuse charity Refuge.

Data from the 38 police forces in England and Wales which responded to a Freedom of Information request showed at least 35 per cent of crimes have been dropped by victims since 2015 despite a suspect being identified.

Sophie Mortimer, manager of the Revenge Porn Helpline, a dedicated service helping adult victims, said another key reason behind victims dropping revenge porn cases is that their anonymity is not guaranteed.

She said: "Although media outlets rarely name victims, the possibility of being outed in their local communities is too much to contemplate.

"Victims of intimate image abuse are feeling incredibly exposed, violated and humiliated and the prospect of a potentially bruising criminal justice process that may drag on for months just isn’t acceptable."

Revenge porn crimes peaked last year at West Midlands Police, when they recorded 710 offences – up from 318 in 2020. In Staffordshire, revenge porn crimes also peaked when they recorded 183 offences which was up from 154 in 2020.

Across England and Wales, at least 28,201 offences were recorded between 2015 and 2021 – though data for five forces did not cover the whole period. Some 7,357 offences were recorded by the 38 forces last year – a 39 per cent jump from 5,291 in 2020.

But these figures "do not scratch the surface" of the true prevalence of the crime, according to Refuge and the Revenge Porn Helpline, who say only a fraction of victims report their experiences to police.

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley, lead for child protection at the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: “Police take the disclosure of private or intimate images – sometimes referred to as 'revenge porn' – very seriously.

"We will pursue all lines of inquiry and prosecute people wherever appropriate. We recognise that going through the criminal justice system can be very stressful for victims, leading to some victims withdrawing from the process.

We are working closely with partners throughout the system to ensure that victims have the confidence to report crimes and that they receive appropriate support at every stage."