Specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams will be introduced to every police force in England and Wales by 2029, the government has pledged.
It is part of a long-delayed plan aimed at halving violence against women and girls within a decade.
The strategy – which will include funding for undercover units operating online, and a roll out of domestic abuse protection orders – is due to be unveiled on Thursday, after being pushed back three times this year.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the measures will help to “bear down on abusers, stopping them in their tracks. Rapists, sex offenders and abusers will have nowhere to hide.”
The government says the new teams will have officers with specialist investigation skills for working on rape and sexual offence cases.
More than 50% of police forces already have these teams in place, but the government says every force will have dedicated officers by 2029.
It says staff will have the right training to understand the mindset of abusers and victims.
Announcing the move, the home secretary said: “This government has declared violence against women and girls a national emergency.
“For too long, these crimes have been considered a fact of life. That’s not good enough. We will halve it in a decade.”
Also announced is a roll out of domestic abuse protection orders, which have been trialled over the last year, across England and Wales.
They can ban individuals from contacting a victim, visiting their home or posting harmful content online, and can also be used in cases involving coercive or controlling behaviour. Breaching an order is a criminal offence.
There will also be almost £2m in investment for special undercover units of police officers operating online – to target those harassing women and girls on the internet.
A report released earlier this month found that more than a quarter of police forces in England and Wales had not implemented basic policies for investigating sexual offences.
It said sexually-motivated crimes against women in public remained widespread, criticised the limited nature of data on them, and called for urgent action to prevent predators from offending.
The publishing of the government’s strategy has been long delayed. It was initially expected to be announced in the spring.
In Labour’s general election manifesto last year the party pledged to use “every government tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence”.
On Tuesday, the chairs of three Commons select committees raised their concerns over repeated delays in publishing the plans.
The BBC has previously been told that changing attitudes among boys and young men will be at the centre of what is proposed.
It is understood it will be built around three goals: preventing radicalisation of young men, stopping abusers, and supporting victims.
Some domestic abuse survivors have told the BBC the time for talking is over – and these measures must be implemented quickly.
