Leading women’s organisations - the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), Imkaan, Centre for Women's Justice (CWJ) and Rape Crisis England & Wales - have today (30th June 2020) delivered a large evidence bundle from their landmark judicial review case brought against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and a key report on rape and racism, to the Government.
The case alleged the CPS had changed its policy and practice on rape, leading to a catastrophic collapse in the number of cases charged and making it to court.
Katie Russell, national spokesperson for Rape Crisis England & Wales says:
"It’s only right this wealth of significant evidence be delivered to Government and carefully considered as part of its ongoing rape review.
It is clearly evident, both from official statistics and the first-hand experience of victims and survivors and the Rape Crisis and other specialist workers who support them, that the criminal justice system is failing on all forms of sexual violence and abuse and has been for some time.
The significant majority of those who are subjected to these traumatic crimes don't currently have the confidence to report to the police, and a small minority of those who do rarely go on to see the perpetrator even charged, let alone convicted. This means the overwhelming majority of people committing these serious offences are walking free.
This is a monumental failure not just of criminal but of social justice - one that affects everyone and with which everyone should be deeply concerned. Victims and survivors of rape, sexual abuse and all forms of sexual violence simply deserve better."