Investigating Stranger Rape

Stranger rape is a crime that women fear more than any other. However, although more likely to be reported to the police, most stranger rapes remain undetected. Sex offenders are diverse, but only a minority are detained under the Mental Health Act. Consequently, research into mentally disordered sex offenders remains limited. We attempted to address these issues by examining a sample of stranger rapists from England’s three high security hospitals.This paper summarises their findings.