Call for more specialist rape units

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Acknowledging that the 6% conviction rate for rape was "not good enough", John Yates insisted constabularies needed to put their best experts in charge of rape cases from start to finish.

The Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Association of Chief Police Officers' spokesman on rape said there had been progress in recent years. But, he said: "What we are not seeing is the whole continuum of the investigation being managed in the best way."

He went on: "So what we are calling for today is those task forces that are being set up - they are being set up in about 10 forces now - we want to see that spread right across the country."

Mr Yates is to issue his call at a police conference, where he will be joined by Home Office minister Vernon Coaker. Mr Coaker will promise to ensure that standards are applied consistently across different police forces following complaints of a "postcode lottery".

Nationally, only 15% of rape victims report the crime, and more than two-thirds of those complaints do not make it to court. The overall conviction rate for rape is just 6%.

Challenged about that figure on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Yates said: "It's not good enough. It is, and does remain, one of the most challenging cases and it's precisely because of that we believe, in Acpo, that specialist, experienced people, credible investigators who know these cases, know the pitfalls, should be dealing with them."

A women's equality group has complained that women in some areas are five times less likely to see their attacker convicted than in others.

The Fawcett Society produced a map based on official figures this week which they claimed revealed "huge deficiencies in police responses to rape" in many parts of the UK. The charity said the conviction rate has got worse in 18 out of 43 police areas since it last looked at the figures in detail in 2004.

The Government's plans include increasing the number of specialist centres for rape victims from 19 to 36 and running a trial scheme of supplying police forces with sexual violence advisers.