Court backlogs for rape cases hit record high with ‘devastating’ waits for justice

Court backlogs for rape and sexual offenses have hit a record high, with the most desperate victims driven to commit suicide by the “devastating” wait for justice.

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According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice, the number of cases in crown courts is set to rise to 7,859 sex offense cases and 1,851 adult rape cases by September 2022.

The shocking figures coincide with a scathing report into policing, which found officers are failing to protect women. Rape cases were dropped because DNA evidence stored in “overly stuffed, dilapidated or broken fridges and freezers” used by the Metropolitan Police was ruined.

The Baroness Casey Review, released last week, concluded that Britain’s largest police force is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic. It was found that a “culture of denial” had allowed poachers to flourish, and officers used their positions of power for sexual purposes.

Data on delayed rape trials obtained through freedom of information requests showed that the number of cases brought back had increased from 658 in 2019-2020 to 1,513 in 2021-2022.

The number of tests that were delayed three or more times almost doubled over the same period – increasing from 95 to 188 – while 26 tests were rearranged on six or more occasions.

A new report from Rape Crisis England and Wales found that survivors of sexual violence suffer the longest delay of all crime victims, waiting an average of 839 days from reporting the offense to the final court decision have been

The organization warned that court delays are harming the “mental well-being” of victims, with some being left out of the process and others trying to take their own lives.

Chief Executive Jayne Butler told Granthshala While all court cases have been hit by the pandemic, barristers’ strikes and staff shortages, sexual violence trials have been particularly badly affected.

They are most likely to engage a plea of ​​not guilty – for fear of being placed on the sex offenders register – which means they demand more resources and result in a longer trial.

The victims are not treated well. They are not told what is happening. They are not prioritized by the system. This should be absolute rock bottom for the system. it couldn’t be worse

jane butler

Ms Butler said victims are treated “almost bystanders” by the criminal justice system, and are often unaware that their case is being adjourned until it comes to court.

He added: “[Victims] Having already gone through so much trauma, it is absolutely devastating to keep waiting. The victims are not treated well. They are not told what is happening. They are not prioritized by the system. This should be absolute rock bottom for the system. It couldn’t possibly get any worse.

Ms Butler said the charity had been “for a long time” calling for specialist courts for sexual violence and abuse cases, with judges and court staff undertaking trauma-informed training to make the process easier for victims.

It also wants rape and sexual assault cases to be given a “priority list,” which would move them through the system more quickly and give victims a guaranteed court date.

Data from the Ministry of Justice for 2014 to 2021 shows that at the end of each year, about 43 percent of all new cases of crime of all types remain pending. This is significantly higher at 65 percent for new sex offenses and 75 percent for new adult rape offenses.

Eli Reeves, shadow minister for prisons and probation, told Granthshala: “Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) staff and court numbers have declined since 2010, and the government has left the system powerless to deal with the largest court backlog on record.

“Rape victims are now denied justice for years, with a fraction of the number of rapists being punished.”

Ms Reeves, who leads the violence against women and girls in the justice team, said the Labor Party has made it a “national mission to reduce the level of violence against women and girls”, adding that A Labor government would set up specialist rape courts.

Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, said victims are enduring “further trauma” from “a system that treats them poorly and leaves them in limbo for years”.

He added: “This is compounded by the systematic underfunding of our territory government, which is leaving specialist support services struggling to meet demand.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said the government was providing “real improvements to the rape response”, and added: “In the last year alone, the number of rape cases referred by police to the CPS is up by more than 50 per cent, alleging The number of suspects arrested has increased by 54 percent, and convictions are up 65 percent over the previous year.

“But we know more needs to be done, particularly so that victims feel confident and supported, which is why we have quadrupled funding for victim services, giving them access to pre-court evidence. -Enabled them to record and remove defendants, and launched a 24/7 helpline with Rape Crisis.”