Charities have welcomed apologies by MPs who regret and are “deeply ashamed” that thousands of rape victims and survivors have been failed on the government’s watch, as they pledged an overhaul of the criminal justice system. But the charities also urged that plans to reform rape prosecutions in England and Wales lack urgency.
A report in The Guardian said, “A long-awaited government review into a precipitous decline in rape prosecutions promises sweeping reform of how cases are handled in England and Wales, including targets for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police to increase the number of prosecutions, and plans to shift the focus of investigations from the victim’s credibility to the perpetrator.”
A pilot allowing victims to pre-record their evidence and cross-examination, to spare them the trauma of attending court, is being extended from three to six courts and if successful will be rolled out nationally.
Reports suggest that the police and the CPS have been ordered to work together to increase the number of rape cases making it to court and return prosecutions to 2016 levels before the end of this parliament.
In a joint statement, Evaw, the Centre for Women’s Justice, Imkaan and Rape Crisis said the review proposed pilots and consultations that may not see results for years, instead of taking urgent action. They added that not enough work had been done to support minority groups and their access to justice.
The report does not directly mention the impact of austerity or cuts, despite the fact that since 2010 the CPS has faced a 25% budget cut and a 30% reduction in staff, while police forces in England and Wales lost 21,732 officers between March 2010 and March 2018 (15% of their total number).
Meanwhile, Labour MP Sara has said that sex offenders could have “danger” warnings stamped on their driving licence and passport record to stop them working with children. She said that the DVLA and the passport office should mark the files of Britain’s 100,000 registered sex offenders.
