Tackle case backlog
The government is set to introduce specialist rape and sexual offences courts across the country, in an effort to counter long wait times for victims of sex crimes.
The new initiative will lead to at least one courtroom set aside for rape and serious sexual offence cases in every Crown Court across England and Wales. The courtrooms will provide complainants with private entrances and waiting rooms, as well as spaces for pre-recording evidence and watching sentencing remotely.
The move follows a wave of government action to tackle support victims of rape and serious sexual offences, including police reforms and a pledge to half violence against women and girls by 2027. Rape cases have faced historic delays, with the average case taking 424 days to resolve once reaching the Crown Court.
The new measures will also see a trial giving victims of sex offences a single point of contact to help meet their needs during the lengthy court process, with all court staff to be given trauma-informed training. A Rape Justice Taskforce is set to be introduced, which will attempt to tackle the rising rate of delayed rape trials, and combat myths about victims.
In a statement, Lord Chancellor Alex Norris said:
“Victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt they’ve been left alone facing the criminal justice system for too long. They have been treated as cases to process and not as people to support. The funding we are announcing today will provide that support that victims deserve — delivering courtrooms that are designed with victim needs in mind and providing specialist training for staff to handle these cases with care.”
David!!!!!
David!!!!
This is your inner monologue talking David!!!!
I’ve had a very clever idea David!!!!
Tell them you’re going to do something that most Courts already do, and pass it off as a new idea!!!!
That way, they’ll think you’re great David!!!!
And you won’t have to do much work to make it happen, David!!!!
Oh… you’re not Lord Chancellor anymore David? Best give the wig and tights back soon, or someone will think you’re kinky, David!!!!
What a Lammy!!!!!!!
The cult of conviction rate manipulation at its best. Speed up the trials which are ever more biased again the defendant. When will defendant anonymity be brought in to ensure equality? Too many innocent lads are being harassed and harmed for life after false allegations. And the conviction rate obsession, which is utterly misguided, means more innocent men are facing jail and ruined lives.
I agree that there should be anonymity until conviction, but with a quid pro quo that we can castrate anyone convicted of rape for a second time, and hang those convicted of any second child sex offence.