Specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offences are to be introduced, but the victims commissioner claims more is needed to clear the backlog of cases.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the decision, with courts designed to make it easier for victims to give evidence and take part in proceedings.
Burnham said: ‘These changes are long overdue and will make a significant difference, but focusing on prosecution alone will not be enough.
‘So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place.’
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said every crown court in England and Wales would have at least one courtroom equipped to deal specifically with rape and serious sexual offence cases within two years.
Trials will also be given fixed dates rather than being placed on floating lists, which can lead to hearings being moved at short notice.
However, Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman said the crown court backlog of such cases was now ‘significantly worse’ than when she first called for the specialist courts in 2021.
‘Tens of thousands more victims are now waiting for their cases to reach trial and specialist courts alone will not be enough to tackle the scale of the delays or deliver the swift justice victims deserve,’ Waxman said. ‘Indeed, court delays could prevent many rape victims from accessing the specialist courtrooms that are being set up to support them.’
What is being announced?
Alongside the new courts, government has announced staff will receive trauma-informed training and a pilot scheme will give victims of sexual offences a single point of contact throughout their case.
A rape justice taskforce will also be established, bringing together representatives from across the criminal justice system.
It will look at the number of postponed rape trials and work to address misconceptions about rape that the government says can lead victims to withdraw from proceedings.
A further £43m will be provided over the next two years through the national rape and sexual abuse support fund. The money will be used for services including counselling, therapy, outreach and group activities.
‘A hugely important milestone’
Labour MP Charlotte Nichols, who previously told ministers she’d been raped after an event she attended as an MP and waited 1,088 days for her case to get to court, welcomed the news.
She described the announcement as ‘a hugely important milestone, helping to improve the experience of victims and survivors of sexual violence in the court system who are all too often retraumatised by seeking justice.’
‘I’m proud that substantive, meaningful change has come from waiving my anonymity to speak about my own experiences and am hugely grateful to the prime minister and lord chancellor for taking forward these measures, as I know the difference they would have made for me and so many of the survivors I have worked with in recent years,’ Nichols added.
Rape Crisis England & Wales also welcomed the measures. Ciara Bergman, chief executive of the charity, said: ‘Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims ad survivors, which is crucial to securing justice.
‘We’re particularly pleased to see measures that will improve trial efficiency and ensure survivors are better able to participate in, and observe, proceedings.’
Image: Sasun Bughdaryan/UnSplash
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