Number of sex attack victims in Great Britain hits new high
The backlog of sex attack cases in the UK has reached a new high, with nearly one in eight of the 62,440 outstanding cases relating to sexual offences. This includes over 2,000 rape cases, marking the first time the backlog in rape cases has exceeded 2,000. The backlog of sex offence cases has risen sharply, from 3,040 in 2019 to 8,312 cases. The delays have raised concerns that victims may lose confidence in the justice system and opt not to pursue their attackers through the courts.
Experts have cited the backlog as a key reason for the drop in rape convictions in recent years. The situation has led to warnings from leading lawyers that “justice in rape allegations has become a victim itself of penny-pinching”. They say the crisis is the result of years of underfunding in the criminal justice system. A strike by defence barristers over pay in 2020 also exacerbated the situation, leading to a pile-up of unresolved prosecutions.
The UK government has set up “Nightingale Courts” to help ease the backlog, and officials have stated that judges are prioritising serious sexual offences. However, the Criminal Bar Association has argued that funding for barristers is inadequate, leading to under-staffing and a lack of progress in cases. The Association has called on the government to provide adequate funding to repair the criminal justice system’s floor before any further investment in victim support.
The Ministry of Justice has claimed that its measures are having an impact, including lifting the cap on the number of days courts can sit and opening extra courtrooms. The Ministry is also increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advisers to over 1,000, quadrupling funding for victims’ services. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said that the latest figures show that outstanding cases in the Crown Court are falling as a direct result of these measures.
However, the government faces a difficult task in tackling the backlog. The situation is particularly serious in relation to sexual offences, which often require specialist legal expertise and sensitivity to deal with the victims’ trauma. If the backlog continues to grow, victims may continue to lose faith in the system, leading to further under-reporting of sexual offences and a failure to bring perpetrators to justice. The government must therefore take urgent action to address the problem and ensure that victims receive the justice they deserve.
