Statement on use of self swabbing after rape and serious sexual assault

The National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection (NCVPP) and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) have issued a clear national position statement on the use of ‘self‑swabbing’ kits in unregulated environments following rape, warning that such kits present significant risk to victims, undermine safeguarding, and jeopardise the integrity of evidence.

Developed by the NCVPP, in collaboration with the NPCC Lead for Adult Sexual Offences Chief Constable Sarah Crew, the position statement reflects extensive engagement with forensic experts, investigative leads, victim and survivor specialist organisations and national voluntary sector and charitable organisations. It aligns with the published positions of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM), NHS England, the Association of Forensic Science Providers Body Fluid Forum and Rape Crisis England and Wales.

Self‑swabbing kits, marketed to victims of sexual offences, operate outside regulated clinical or forensic environments, raising serious concerns about contamination, evidential continuity, and the absence of any safeguarding or medical support.

Chief Constable Sarah Crew, NPCC Lead for Adult Sexual Offences, said:

“Self‑swabbing in unregulated environments is not compatible with the victim‑centred, suspect‑focused and context‑led approach that policing has committed to under Operation Soteria. Victims of rape and serious sexual assault deserve immediate access to specialist medical care, safeguarding, psychological support and accredited forensic processes. Asking victims to collect intimate evidence alone, at a moment of crisis, places an unfair burden on them and risks both their wellbeing and the integrity of any investigation. These kits can create false expectations, lead to re‑traumatisation and reduce trust in statutory services.

"Our national policing position is clear: forensic evidence gathered without continuity, control or clinical oversight is at high risk of being challenged in court and may ultimately be unusable. Diverting victims away from Sexual Assault Referral Centres removes critical opportunities for risk assessment, intelligence gathering and holistic care. Our priority is always to put victims’ needs first while relentlessly focusing on identifying, disrupting and prosecuting perpetrators and anything that undermines that risks allowing offenders to continue their behaviour.”