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.”
