London police asked to explain why 254 sex-assault reports didn't lead to charges

The oversight body for a southwestern Ontario police service under scrutiny for its handling of a high-profile sexual-assault investigation asked the force Wednesday to explain why roughly 40 per cent of sexual-assault reports it received last year did not lead to charges.

The oversight body for a southwestern Ontario police service under scrutiny for its handling of a high-profile sexual-assault investigation asked the force Wednesday to explain why roughly 40 per cent of sexual-assault reports it received last year did not lead to charges.

A report presented to the London Police Services Board at its monthly meeting shows there were 587 reported sexual assaults in 2023, up three per cent from the previous year. Some of the incidents reported may have taken place before 2023.

Of those, the report says 254 did not lead to charges and are thus subject to review by the violence against women advocate case review program.

The program refers sexual-assault investigations that don't lead to charges to an independent committee of front-line community experts, who reviews them to help ensure cases aren't being inappropriately closed.

The board asked police to return with information on why those cases did not lead to charges and to provide that information with future reports.

"I think it's important that there be context to this," said the board's vice-chair, Megan Walker, who initiated the request.

"Otherwise, people may look at this and say, 'Oh, my god, all those women had the courage to come forward and look, they didn't even lay charges."'