Specialist courts dedicated to rape and sexual offences will be introduced across England and Wales, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced, in a major overhaul aimed at easing delays and improving the experience of survivors.
Officials said every Crown Court would have at least one courtroom assigned to such cases within the next two years.
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Survivors will be offered private entrances and waiting areas so they do not have to come into contact with defendants. Although victims already have the right to request those arrangements, access currently depends on whether facilities are available.
Court staff will receive “trauma-informed training”, while each survivor will be assigned a single point of contact throughout the process.
The government said the changes were partly inspired by Labour MP Charlotte Nichols, praising her “immense strength and bravery” after she spoke publicly about being raped and pressed for reform of a system weighed down by a substantial backlog.
‘Important milestone’
In March, Ms Nichols gave up her automatic right to anonymity during an emotional speech in the Commons. She described waiting more than 1,000 days for her case to reach court.
She called the measures a “hugely important milestone”, saying they could improve the experience of people who are “all too often retraumatised by seeking justice.”
“I’m proud that substantive meaningful change has come from waiving my anonymity to speak about my own experiences, and I can’t tell you how much the support of the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor means to me, as I know the difference these measures would have made for me and for so many of the survivors I have worked with in recent years,” Ms Nichols said.
Changes long overdue
Mr Burnham said: “For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system. Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice.
“This is not good enough. That’s why we are making major changes to rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first. This includes rolling out specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sex offences.
“These changes are long overdue and will make a significant difference, but focusing on prosecution alone will not be enough. So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place.”
Rape Crisis England and Wales described the measures as a “significant step forward for our justice system”, saying they would deliver several reforms the organisation had advocated for over many years.
Chief executive Ciara Bergman said: “Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims and survivors, which is crucial to securing justice.”
The Conservative Party also said action to address delays in criminal rape trials was “long overdue”, while urging Labour to abandon plans to restrict jury trials more broadly announced under Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: “The fact that victims have been withdrawing their cases because they have taken too long has been a disgrace.
“Labour need to get courts sitting throughout the year, end the delays and clear the backlog – not undermine our right to a trial by jury.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can access helplines here.
