‘Appalling’
THE crisis in the criminal justice system was laid bare yesterday as it was revealed 60 per cent of victims do not report crimes to police.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab described the revelation as “appalling” and said a third of those targeted drop out during the prosecution process.
He blasted the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, saying too many people affected by crime are being let down.
Mr Raab spoke as the first “scorecards” exposing delays and law charging rates were published.
They show how people have to wait more than a month on average for police to charge a suspect even for minor offences.
The figure rises to more than a year for rape, where women and girls face average delays of 450 days before an alleged attacker is put on trial.
Only a fraction of rapists face justice – with between 0.6 per cent and 3.6 per cent of investigations ending in a charge.
Mr Raab said: “It’s appalling that three in five victims don’t report crimes they suffer, and a third pull out of prosecutions before they see justice done. I want to give all victims the confidence to come forward. It isn’t just the right thing to do. The more victims report what they’ve suffered, the more criminals we catch.”
Dame Vera Baird, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, said: “For many victims of crime, seeking justice can be an unacceptably slow and frustrating experience.
“But there are marked differences across the country and some areas notably outperform others.”
The scorecards will expose weak links but are not a panacea and numerical snapshots do not tell the whole story, she warned.
She added: “They will need to be complemented by the victims’ voice to provide a more rounded picture.”
Mr Raab cited the case of rape victim Emily Hunt, now an independent adviser to the Government.
After reporting her attack, Ms Hunt was forced to give up her clothes, despite having nothing else to wear, and hand over her phone but was offered “scant support”.
Mr Raab said: “She was made to feel like she was under investigation. No victim should be made to feel that way.Too many victims are being let down by the system.
“I’m determined to put that right – and have asked Emily to advise us, so we can do much better.”
Ms Hunt said victims were still being left in the lurch.
She added: “In some areas of the country progress is being made but in many, many others we need to do better. Prosecution rates for rape have to go up. Giving everyone access to this data, on a local level, will be part of making sure they do.”
Yesterday, Mr Raab announced measures to help tackle the crisis:
A £440million boost for victim support services over the next three years.
Local criminal justice and rape scorecards. Roll-out of pre-recorded evidence for rape victims in the North East. The measure is being extended to all crown courts.
It means women and girls will be spared part of the courtroom ordeal by being able to give pre-recorded evidence by video.
And Mr Raab said the scorecards would “help us to shine a light on different parts of the justice system, enabling us and local leaders to learn from, and spread, best practice”.
He hoped the measure would drive up successful prosecutions.
The Justice Secretary added: “This is my top priority. We’re taking action to make our justice system work better for victims, protect the public – and build back a safer, stronger and fairer society after the pandemic.”