Detective Superintendent Natalia Ross is on a Mission to Tackle Sexual Violence

For Detective Superintendent Natalia Ross, a career in policing wasn’t always the plan. As a teenager, she imagined herself joining the army drawn to the structure and discipline it offered. But a teacher at college suggested she try volunteering with the police for a week; an experience that changed the course of her life.

"I had a really challenging and difficult childhood" Natalia explains. "We had very little and I struggled through my school years, so I thought the army would be a good career route for me. But my teacher convinced me the police were worth a try."

“I was hooked from day one,” she recalls. “Seeing how officers interacted with people, experiencing the fast-paced nature of the job—I knew instantly this was where I belonged.”

Now, with 22 years of service, Natalia is a leading force in Crime and Public Protection, working relentlessly to combat some of the most serious offences, including rape, serious sexual offences, and child abuse. As Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week highlights the ongoing need to support survivors and bring offenders to justice, Natalia’s work remains at the forefront of this fight.

Natalia's career has evolved significantly from her early days as a Police Constable.

"Currently my job is very different to what it was when I started. I never really intended to progress through the ranks but as you grow as an officer you find what skills you are better at and that naturally directs your interests and career."

"My first role involved parading with colleagues, getting briefed on what had happened during the previous shift and being allocated jobs to attend" she says. "That could mean anything from responding to emergencies to progressing a prisoner in custody or preparing case files"

Now, as a Detective Superintendent, her responsibilities focus on developing strategies to improve investigations into sexual offences and child abuse, supporting her officers and building partnerships with external agencies.

"At the moment, one of my key projects is implementing Operation Soteria across our specialist sexual offence teams," she explains. "It's a national initiative aimed at improving how we investigate rape and serious sexual offences through better training and changes to local processes."

For Natalia, it's not just about securing convictions, it's about ensuring victims feel supported throughout their journey.

"Sexual offences are incredibly complex and can take time to investigate. My teams work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice but they also spend a lot of time liasing with partner agencies to keep victims safe from futher harm."

Investigating rape, serious sexual offences and child abuse comes with its own set of challenges.

"I think this is one of those areas that isn't massively understood by the public because it's not always in the media. People don't see the amount of work that goes into these investigations or how long they can take."

She also recognises the emotional impact working on these cases can have on her officers.

"The cases carry trauma, and naturally, I know my officers and staff are exposed to a lot of secondary trauma." she explains. "It's my job to look after them and to make sure they have the right support."

But despite the difficulties, Natalia remains deeply passionate about her work.

"Getting justice for a victim, saving someone from further harm - those are the moments that make it all worth it.

"When my team gets a great charge; when we get a conviction at court; when a victim tells us they felt supported throughout - that's what drives me!"

One case that has stayed with her involved a group of boys who were racially assaulted whilst on a field trip.

"There was no CCTV, no intelligence about who might be responsible and the boys already had a distrust of the police," she recalls.

Determined to bring the attackers to justice, Natalia spent hours building trust with the boys at their youth centre.

"I really put in extra effort to find those responsible, using a tactic that isn't often used - a roadblock where you stop and speak to every car passing through the area.

"After two days, someone came forward for information. We arrested the suspects, found evidence linking them to the crime and secured convictions."

The case had an even deeper impact than she expected.

"The boys and their youth leaders gave an impact statement to the court, commending me for the work I did and saying I had changed their perception of the police...that really meant a lot to me."

With such a demanding role, Natalia understands the importance of switching off outside of work.

"I love bootcamp. I was never really into the gym but I've found bootcamp and love being outdoors and making new friends."

She's also an animal lover, with two dogs of her own.

"I've started learning how to groom dogs. It's something completely different and I really enjoy it. I also love painting and making wooden models of houses as it really helps me unwind from the pressures of work."

For those considering a career in policing, Natalia has some valuable advice.

"Make contact with the police and ask to speak to someone. It can be daunting at first but there are so many people willing to share their experiences and help you join."

She also emphasises that policing offers a huge variety of career pathways.

"You might think being in uniform isn't for you, but we have a fantastic route called Investigate First where you can train as a detective right away. I've been a detective for 20 years, and I absolutely love it!"

Her own journey is proof that policing can open doors - even ones you never thought possible.

"The police gave me incredible opportunities, I even studied for a Master's Degree in criminology at Cambridge University, something I never thought i'd be able to do, coming from a family that struggled financially."

As Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week comes to a close, Natalia and her team's steely determination to find justice for those harmed continues on.

"Someone has to do this job and we do it well," she says. "Imagine having no one to turn to if you were a victim of sexual assault or child abuse. My job is to give those people a voice and the justice they deserve."

Looking to the future, she remains committed to driving change.

"I'd love to see more justice for victims of sexual offences." She says.

"I love what i'm doing: improving things for my officers and keeping victims safe. That's what really matters to me."

For Detective Superintendent Natalia Ross, policing isn't just a job - it's a mission. And as long as there are victims who need a voice, she'll be there with them. Fighting for justice.

Synergy Essex offers independent and specialised services for individuals who have experienced rape or sexual abuse in Essex.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of three services; Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service, and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).

The services provided by Synergy Essex are independent of the police. This ensures individuals can seek help whether they choose to report the incident or not. This could be in relation to something that happened recently or in the past.

Survivors and victims can access support by reaching out on their own or through a referral from someone they trust. This could be a family member, friend, or professional.

At Synergy Essex, people of all ages can benefit from specialised emotional support. This includes counselling and advocacy.

For those pursuing legal action, they offer the help of an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA). The advisers can guide and support them through the criminal justice process.

To learn more about the services available, please visit the Synergy Essex website.