EACH YEAR there are approximately 128,000 new victims of rape or attempted rape in England and Wales, while every day more than 300 women are raped and 190 rapes will be reported. Yet fewer than one in 60 rape cases currently lead to a charge, with more than 99 per cent that are reported to police failing to result in a conviction and only one in 77 rape suspects is ever successfully charged.

From 2018-2022, rape prosecutions in Britain fell by a staggering 70 per cent, while successful charge rates are wildly disparate depending on locale, varying from as low as 1.3 per cent in Surrey, to 8.2 per cent in Durham.

The prosecution rate is presently so poor that several women’s rights organisations, including the Centre for Women’s Justice, have gone so far as to claim that in Britain, rape has been effectively “decriminalised.”

Regardless, it’s clear our current criminal justice system makes prosecuting rape an arduous, lengthy task, while an overly intrusive focus is still placed on the victim’s character and conduct.

The British legal system is badly failing rape victims, with the reporting and prosecution process often turning out to be more traumatic than the actual crime itself.

Even if a case does make it to trial, on average, it takes three years from reporting a rape to a court date, while the number of outstanding adult rape cases now tops 2,000.

Additionally, in 2019, it was revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service had a secret conviction target of 60 per cent — but this was revealed to have had a detrimental effect, as it led to many prosecutors shedding more complex, challenging, or weaker cases.

Unlike other kinds of complainants, the credibility of rape victims is unduly called into question, causing many to drop out of the process. Almost 70 per cent of rape victims fail to continue due to feeling unsupported, disbelieved, or judged — and many fear giving evidence in court.
 
 As soon as a rape is reported, victims are required to hand over their mobile phone — a step that women’s campaigners have dubbed the equivalent of a “digital strip search” and one that causes victims to shy away, due to the invasion of their privacy.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that victims of rape and sexual assault are being treated in such a heavy-handed manner by the police, especially if they are women.

Louise Casey’s excoriating report released earlier this year exposed the misogyny, racism and homophobia still deeply embedded in the Metropolitan Police and it’s probable that many other forces throughout Britain follow a similar pattern.

The incumbent government is well aware of both the problems and the statistics — in June 2021 the Tories published a review looking at why the justice system is failing to prosecute rapes. The report found that victims were being “treated poorly” and received “inconsistent support” and highlighted serious bottlenecks in investigative processes.

It also revealed strained relationships between parts of the justice system and a severe lack of dedicated resources, courts, judges and lawyers — issues no doubt worsened by ever-increasing Tory cuts in funding.

Between 2009-10 and 2018-19, the budget of the CPS was slashed by a not insignificant 28 per cent, after adjustments made for inflation, while the amount of full-time CPS staff also dramatically decreased. In 2011, there were 8,094 CPS staff in full-time roles but by 2021, this figure had dropped to just 5,419.

Yet though the report outlined an action plan intended to address the issues raised, two years have passed since its publication — and going by the shockingly low prosecution and charge statistics, it appears the Tories have done little to put the recommended steps into place.

According to campaign group End Violence Against Women, current rape prosecution rates are failing to reach the criminal justice system’s 2016 target, which at the time, was already considered to be woefully inadequate.

Back in February 2022, the Ministry of Justice announced £40 million in funding to assist victims of crime, with a significant portion designed to be allocated to those impacted by sexual violence.

Despite this, the current head of Rape Crisis, Jayne Butler, claims that the criminal justice system is still failing rape victims and stated that the action that the incumbent government has taken so far “lacks ambition.”

Numerous victims’ charities insist that victims need access to free, independent legal advice, funded by the government, as well as an increase in legislation designed to safeguard their privacy.

With police recording a wide rise in rapes throughout Britain and sexual offences reaching a record high of 193,566 in 2022, according to the Office for National Statistics, it is clear there is a long way to go.

Labour has already accused the Tories of “sheer negligence” regarding the low rape charge rate of just 1.6 per cent but the whole of the left must now keep the pressure on the Tories, to ensure victims of this heinous crime receive the justice they deserve.

People in England and Wales who require access to support for rape or sexual abuse can call the Rape Crisis helpline on 0808 802 9999. Scottish residents can call 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, while those in Northern Ireland should dial 0800 0246 991.