Today (5th June 2025), the Government have announced a new pilot scheme that will enable victims of rape and serious sexual assaults who face their cases being dropped by prosecutors the opportunity to challenge this decision.
Currently, when the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) offer no evidence in a case, it is permanently closed and cannot be reopened – even if a ‘Victims Right to Review’ process finds that the case should not have been dropped.
Under new plans, victims and survivors will be able to request a second opinion from a different prosecutor before any final decision is made to close their case.
The pilot scheme will begin in the West Midlands for six months and, if successful, is expected to be rolled out across England and Wales.
Rape Crisis England & Wales, alongside our colleagues at Centre for Women’s Justice, End Violence Against Women and Girls and Victim Support have long-called for this change, so we’re pleased to see the government make steps towards survivors getting the justice they deserve.
Maxime Rowson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Rape Crisis England & Wales said:
"Too often, survivors are left feeling silenced and side-lined when decisions are made to drop their cases without meaningful explanation or recourse. As it stands, the CPS can close sexual offence cases by ‘offering no evidence’. If this decision later turns out to be incorrect, survivors are offered only an apology, with no opportunity to have their case reopened. This is unacceptable.
This new pilot scheme is a welcome step forward, offering survivors a vital opportunity to have their voices heard before a case is closed. While we recognise that there is still much more to do, early and transparent decision-making is key to rebuilding trust in a system that too often fails those it is meant to protect.”