Areas where most rape victims are denied justice to be named and shamed

The parts of the country where most rape victims are denied justice will be named and shamed as the Attorney General pledged to expose “weak links” in the criminal justice system.

Writing for The Telegraph, Suella Braverman said she wanted to see “honesty” over the scale of the crisis in rape prosecutions, which have plunged to a record low of just 1.4 per cent – or only one in 70 of all offences – being solved.

She admitted that, as a result, rape victims faced a “slow, frustrating and daunting” experience. Delays in getting to court have increased sharply during the pandemic, along with poor conviction rates.

A record two-thirds of rape victims drop out of prosecutions because of a lack of confidence that the perpetrator will be brought to justice, delays of up to two or three years in bringing them to court and intrusive questioning over their private lives, often in the witness box.

Best and worst-performing forces

“To solve a problem, one needs to be honest about its scale and frank about solutions,” said Ms Braverman as she pledged to provide data that would shine a light on the “weak links” in the criminal justice system.

She said that the Government would publish regional scorecards for the first time to provide an “even more detailed picture of where performance is strong and where the weak links persist”.

The scorecards are expected to expose the best and worst police forces based on the time it takes them to complete investigations – on average 419 days – and the proportion of offences that result in charges.

Home Office data for rape charges over the past three years show victims in the best-performing police force, Durham, are ten times more likely to see their attacker charged than the worst-performing, Wiltshire.

In Durham, 7.1 per cent of rapes result in a charge, compared with 0.7 per cent in Wiltshire, 1.1 per cent in Kent, 1.6 per cent in Avon and Somerset and 1.9 per cent in Greater Manchester.

The scorecards will also reveal how each regional prosecution and court service performs in delivering “timely” justice, with national data showing that delays from charge to verdict have increased by 150 days in the past two years.

On average, it takes 122 days after the police refer their case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) before they make a decision to charge. From this point to the final verdict from the jury, it takes another 457 days on average, up from 301 days in 2019.

“This data paints an honest picture of the criminal justice system, and will help identify blockages. They will shine a light on volumes of cases going through the system at every stage and the time taken for investigation, charging and completion at court,” said Ms Braverman.

We must improve the response to this abhorrent crime

It is an age-old adage that “justice delayed is justice denied”. King John famously vowed in Magna Carta that he would neither deny nor delay justice. Today, for many of victims of crime, the experience of seeking justice can be slow, frustrating and daunting, writes Suella Braverman.

This is particularly so when it comes to rape and serious sexual offences. As Attorney General, my priority is to improve the criminal justice system’s response to these heinous crimes by increasing the number of cases charged and prosecuted and reducing delay. We must do better.

Public confidence is vital to the work of both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which I oversee, and that of the police. The abhorrent crimes committed by serving police officer Wayne Couzens against Sarah Everard provoked an important discussion about violence against women and girls and the British public’s confidence in the criminal justice system.

To solve a problem, one needs to be honest about its scale and frank about solutions. We must look at every step in the process: from the first step that someone takes to report a crime, to how the police gather evidence; to the CPS, where lawyers prepare the case for prosecution; and the courts where trial will finally take place. 

We know what works: close and early collaboration between police officer and prosecuting lawyer; effective case management to “grip” the case and move it forward swiftly; pragmatic inquiry to identify weaknesses in the case and the need for further evidence. To date, however, this has not been happening enough.

That is why I am pleased that the CPS and the police are now working more closely together to solve this problem. Firstly, they have started by sharing data more innovatively and are now able to identify exactly where things are going wrong so as to intervene more quickly, together.

Last month’s publication of the first-ever national criminal justice quarterly performance scorecards is part of a greater drive for transparency, to help the Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and I hold all justice agencies appropriately to account. These data paint an honest picture of the criminal justice system, and will help to identify blockages. 

They will shine a light on volumes of cases going through the system at every stage and the time taken for investigation, charging and completion at court. 

A more detailed picture

Regional scorecards are due to be published this quarter, giving us an even more detailed picture of where performance is strong and where the weak links persist. With the right data, we will be able to see where agencies need to improve, and as a government we will be better able to push for targeted improvements.

In the context of rape and sexual violence, these data are essential to enable us to better understand the criminal justice response and in turn, increase the number of prosecutions reaching court. This is supported by the CPS recruiting 500 prosecutors since 2016 to help manage caseloads.

Secondly, new approaches to working are being developed. In Avon and Somerset, the CPS has worked with policing colleagues over the past six months to build in early investigative advice and better co-ordinate their response to rape victims. 

They have also pioneered a new tool which harmonises data between the two bodies so that instant analysis can take place of any given case at any point. And they are also working harder to support victims through the process so that fewer withdraw before trial.

In the most tragic of crimes, there are no words or penalty that can bring back a loved one or erase horrific memories. However, for many victims, securing justice is vital for healing. With the truth laid bare, the evidence aired, solace may finally follow. 

I know that the criminal justice system can do better. My ministerial colleagues and I are determined to improve confidence and reduce the number of victims withdrawing from the process, increase the volumes of trials being heard and ultimately, protect the public by putting more rapists behind bars. We will not rest until this is achieved.

• Suella Braverman is the Attorney General, the Government’s most senior law officer