Minister’s apology to rape victims
Each year in England and Wales, there are about 128,000 victims of rape and attempted rape. But fewer than 20% of them report the crime to the police, according to a government review. Just 1.6% of rapes result in someone being charged. Convictions have fallen to a record low in recent years. In the review’s foreword, ministers admit they are “deeply ashamed” by the trends. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland tells us: “Sorry. It’s not good enough.” The report, he says, reveals “at all stages of the criminal justice process frankly a failure to deal with complaints made by many thousands of victims”.
The government says it’s now considering allowing victims to pre-record their evidence to spare them the trauma of a courtroom trial. Its review also outlined plans to focus more on the suspect’s behaviour – not that of the accuser – and make sure phones taken away for evidence-gathering are returned within a day. But Amelia Handy, of Rape Crisis England and Wales, says: “It’s hard to identify any big commitments that will radically and swiftly improve the experience of the justice system for victims and survivors.” Labour says the government has “failed victims of rape on every front” and its recommendations do not go far enough.
