The Hydrant Programme

{{Short description|UK policing service for child protection and abuse}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox law enforcement agency | logo = File:Hydrant.png | commonname = Hydrant | preceding1 = Operation Hydrant | country = United Kingdom | national = Yes | police = Yes | oversightbody = National Police Chiefs Council | headquarters = New Scotland Yard, London, England | chief1name = Richard Fewkes | chief2name = Becky Riggs | chief2position = Assistant Chief Constable | website = https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk }}

'''The Hydrant Programme''' (or '''Hydrant''') is a United Kingdom policing policy and support service formed in August 2022 as part of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), funded by the Home Office. It provides analysis, information, research and learning in relation to sexual abuse, as well as facilitating communications between police forces and other organisations across the UK dealing with sex crime and child protection. The London Metropolitan Police Service are the host force for the programme.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our work |url=https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/our-work |access-date=2025-12-20 |website=The Hydrant Programme |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The service was originally created by the NPCC as Operation Hydrant in June 2014. This provided co-ordination, support and guidance to the police after it became apparent that forces around the country were investigating a significant number of potentially overlapping allegations of past child sexual offenses following the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal.<ref name="guardian-police-uncovering-epidemic-of-child-abuse-in-1970s-and-80s">{{cite news |last=Dodd |first=Vikram |date=5 February 2020 |title=Police uncovering 'epidemic of child abuse' in 1970s and 80s |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/05/police-uncovering-epidemic-of-child-abuse-in-1970s-and-80s |access-date=5 February 2020 |newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> It dealt primarily with cases concerning persons of public prominence, or with offences which took place within institutional settings such as hospitals, care homes and schools. The service did not carry out individual investigations, as these were conducted by the relevant local police forces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our history |url=https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/about-us/our-history |access-date=2025-12-20 |website=The Hydrant Programme |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== {{anchor|Winterkey}}History of Operation Hydrant and Winter Key == {{See also|Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal}}{{Excerpt|Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal|only=paragraphs|paragraphs=1|hat=no}}{{Excerpt|Operation Yewtree|Operation Hydrant|paragraphs=1|hat=no}}In June 2015 '''Operation Winter Key''' was set up by the Metropolitan Police (Met), absorbing earlier Met operations including Operation Yewtree and Operation Fairbank. Allegations referred to the Met by Operation Hydrant were handled by Winter Key.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roper |first1=Catherine |date=6 February 2019 |title=Witness Statement |url=https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/9660/view/MPS003548.pdf#page=5 |publisher=Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse |page=§ 10(c) |no-pp=y}}</ref> By March 2019 Winter Key had cost £20 million.<ref name="foi20202">{{cite web |date=February 2020 |title=Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.19.012498 |url=https://www.met.police.uk/cy-GB/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2020/february_2020/costs-of-5-operations |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809163121/https://www.met.police.uk/cy-GB/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2020/february_2020/costs-of-5-operations |archive-date=9 August 2021 |access-date=9 August 2021 |publisher=Metropolitan Police}}</ref> By February 2020, some 7,000 suspects had been identified, with 11,346 allegations of assaults from 9,343 victims. Some allegations dated back to the 1940s and all concerned child sexual abuse.

The investigations produced the following outcomes:<ref name="guardian-police-uncovering-epidemic-of-child-abuse-in-1970s-and-80s" /> {| class="wikitable" |No further action by police |5,284 |- |Conviction in court |4,024 |- |No further action by CPS |1,313 |- |Acquittal in court |719 |- |Caution |10 |- |'''Total''' |11,346 |}Allegations where no further action was taken were broken down into the following percentages: {| class="wikitable" |Suspect deceased |36% |- |Suspect not identified/traced |22% |- |Victim did not support police action |17% |- |Insufficient detail/evidence |9% |} Commenting on what the police had discovered, the head of Operation Hydrant, Chief Constable Simon Bailey said: "[as a society] we are going to have to recognise and accept that during the 1970s and 1980s in particular, there was widespread sexual abuse of children taking place", adding that the vast majority of cases were never reported due to lack of victims' faith in the authorities, and the abuse of power. Regarding the impact of the abuse he said, "Some could not cope. ... Some victims committed suicide. Some coped, some are in the mental care system. The horrors bestowed on these children are horrific."<ref name="guardian-police-uncovering-epidemic-of-child-abuse-in-1970s-and-80s" />

Gabrielle Shaw of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood said, "We know from what victims and survivors tell us that being able to report what happened to the police is healing for many people, sometimes even when a case cannot be pursued. Thirty-five percent of offenders brought to justice for non-recent abuse is very encouraging."<ref name="guardian-police-uncovering-epidemic-of-child-abuse-in-1970s-and-80s" />

== References == <references responsive="1"></references> == External links ==

* [https://www.hydrantprogramme.co.uk/ The Hydrant Programme]

{{Child sexual abuse in the UK}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Hydrant Programme, The}} Category:Child sexual abuse in the United Kingdom H Category:Operation Yewtree Category:Sex crimes in the United Kingdom Category:Law enforcement operations against child pornography