Rape Crisis CEO comments on the latest Crown Court data

Statement from our CEO, Ciara Bergman

Every year, tens of thousands of survivors of sexual violence and abuse come to Rape Crisis for help and support. For many, it’s the first time they’ve found the courage or the words to name what happened.

We’re here to make sure that when they do, they get the free, expert and lifelong support they need, from women who believe, validate and empower them to navigate recovery and rebuild their lives in its aftermath. It also includes, for those who can withstand it, the pursuit of justice.

Rape is a crime against the whole of society costing billions to the public purse, but the odds of stopping it are currently stacked against us all. In England and Wales, just 2.7% of rapes reported to police will result in a charge that same year – let alone a conviction.

And the latest Crown Court statistics are nothing short of appalling.

It's clear that our Crown Courts are in crisis and the Government has been unable to bring any effective plan for action, introducing piecemeal but superficial measures like an increase in sitting days, which have made no impact on the bigger picture.

So whilst we welcome the push from Government, police and CPS through Operation Soteria and other policies, to investigate cases more effectively and increase prosecutions, there appears to have been no strategic thought given to the ability of the Courts to then manage this increase.

And it’s survivors who pay the price – in years of their lives. Those whose cases languish in the court system are not just waiting for justice – their lives, jobs, dreams and families are often on hold, their trauma remains unresolved and is in many cases compounded by delays, and their hope - and that of their families and friends - hangs on a thread. Perhaps most importantly, when it comes to securing convictions, memories - and of course evidence – degrade over time, making the chances of a successful conviction even more remote as the years go by.

Outstanding cases are calculated by the number of cases sent to the Crown Court (receipts) minus the number of cases completed (disposals). The number of receipts of adult rape cases has increased by 120% since 2022, but disposals have only increased by 99%. Until this disparity is eliminated, the outstanding case total will continue to rise, and survivors will wait longer and longer for their trial to be heard.

This Government came on a raft of promises to improve the system for survivors of sexual abuse, including the introduction of specialist rape courts in every Crown Court location in England and Wales, to fast-track rape cases. We have yet to hear anything of these plans, or any others, to address the impact of the backlogs on survivors. I have today written to the Government to request an urgent meeting to discuss this crisis, because until the broader disparity between what we want to achieve and how we resource it is addressed, all of us will wait longer for sexual violence to end.