Met using counter-terror tactics to arrest men who attack women and girls

The Metropolitan Police has revealed it is using the ‘V100’ initiative to focus on perpetrators of violence against women and girls. The initiative uses data analytics to identify and target the top men and women who pose the most risk using existing police data from victim reports of crime alongside the Cambridge Crime Harm Index, a tool which helps police measure the seriousness of harm to victims.

In this way, the force is able to prioritise police interventions to have the biggest impact, reducing the threat perpetrators pose and the harm they cause.

The V100 initiative is already used in counter terrorism operations.

Since August 2023, officers have arrested 60 of the most harmful suspects, with 24 convicted so far.

One example given by the Met, was the case of 55-year-old Marcelino Goncalves, who was arrested and convicted after being highlighted as a high-harm offender and prolific abuser.

He was convicted on Friday 22 March for rape, assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking and controlling coercive behaviour.

The police became aware of Goncalves when a member of public saw him assault a woman known to him. The victim shared with police the history of abuse she had faced.

Goncalves continued to contact her while on remand, making 15 calls from prison, but with enhanced management within the prison system, they were able to put a stop to the harassment when it was reported.

Commander Ben Russell, who leads on V100 for the Met said: “Violence against women and girls is totally unacceptable and the Met is determined to stop predators and bring them to justice.

“We’re using data to identify the most predatory offenders in London who pose the greatest threat to women and girls where evidence shows a disproportionate amount of crime is committed by a comparatively small number of people in society.

“The results show our approach is working in targeting the most dangerous suspects. I am proud of the progress we are making in using innovative, precise techniques to take dangerous offenders off the streets of London and we will ensure the most harmful will be brought to justice. “

Professor Lawrence Sherman, the Met’s chief scientific officer said “This highly precise approach works by taking the names of suspects provided by victims and witnesses and uses the Cambridge Crime Harm Index to rank them in order, to give priority to those causing the greatest harm to women and girls.

“We are the first police service to use this targeting method to tackle this issue, which highlights the power of systematic tracking of every suspect in London.”