Latest data shows our justice system is still failing survivors of rape and domestic abuse

Last week (19th October 2023) the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) released its quarterly figures on charging, prosecution and conviction rates for rape, sexual offences and domestic abuse – painting a concerning picture of how our broken justice system is responding to violence against women and girls.

Rape

While there have been slight improvements in charging in rape cases, progress is largely static. While we are seeing police referrals and charging move in the right direction, the number of convictions is largely stagnant when compared with the previous year.

Another area without much movement is timeliness, with overall length of time to charge averaging 165.7 days, although this can often be much longer. Recent FOI data also found that more than 300 outstanding crown court cases in England and Wales have been waiting 4 years or more for a conclusion, while 173 outstanding cases have not yet concluded after waiting 6 years. This is clearly unacceptable and has a hugely detrimental impact on survivors.

Domestic abuse

While the CPS has made marginal progress in charging cases of domestic abuse along with a slight increase in police referrals, the number of completed prosecutions and convictions remains in decline. This is a huge cause for concern and must urgently be investigated.

Rebecca Hitchen, Head of Policy & Campaigns at the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said:

“We are pleased to see improvements to how data is presented. This is something we have been asking for over a long period. However, the pace of progress is too slow – rape survivors are facing court delays and backlogs, on top of other barriers to justice. Overall, we continue to see survivors being harmed by a system that’s meant to support them.

The data continues to show a highly concerning picture of what is happening when women report domestic abuse. We urge close scrutiny by police and CPS in order to identify the reasons behind this downward trend in order that it can be rectified urgently.

We know that for both rape and domestic abuse offences, the number of women who report is a drop in the ocean compared to the number who do not. We need to see the government, CPS and police address the barriers to reporting, and ensure that access to specialist support is not contingent on engaging in the criminal justice system.

With recent headlines on prisons being full, we will be watching the data to monitor any additional adverse impacts this could have on survivors.”

ENDS

Media contact

Sinead Geoghegan, 07960 744 502 media@evaw.org.uk