Jurors feel sorry for young rape defendants

Young men are more likely to be cleared of rape because juries feel sorry for them, CPS figures suggest. According to statistics, men aged 18 to 24 in England and Wales are consistently less likely to be found guilty than older men on trial, The Guardian reported.

Senior CPS staff believe the failure to secure convictions reflects a desperate need to educate jurors.

The conviction rate last year in rape-only trials involving men aged 18-24 was 32 per cent, compared with 46 per cent for men aged 25-59.