Government ‘too quick’ to claim progress for rape and sexual assault victims, say campaigners

The government has said that its “overhaul” of the criminal justice system has “significantly” improved outcomes for victims of rape and other sexual offences - but campaigners have argued it is too soon for ministers to claim that progress has been made.

The Ministry of Justice on Monday (10 July) published a progress report for its 2020 End-To-End Rape Review, which revealed that the number of reported cases in England and Wales resulting in prosecution had rapidly declined since 2016.

In the report, the government said it had met two of its key ambitions ahead of schedule - restoring the number of police referrals and cases reaching court to the same level as 2016 - and claimed it was on course to achieve its third ambition of reversing low conviction rates before the end of this Parliament. Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, said this was evidence of “significant progress”.

It came as the Home Office announced that all rape prosecutors and every police force across England and Wales will begin implementing a new approach to dealing with rape and other sexual offences. Known as Operation Soteria, the new scheme aims to ensure that the focus of the investigation is on the suspect and not the victim - and that the rights and needs of the victim are provided for.

Commenting on Operation Soteria, which has been piloted in 19 police forces, the Home Office claimed there are already early signs of improvement - with data suggesting more victims are reporting rape, sexual assault, and other sexual offences to the police. It said the number of cases being referred to the CPS had more than doubled from West Midlands and Durham forces, while the number of cases being prosecuted by the CPS from Avon and Somerset had more than tripled.

But Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said the government was premature in its claims of improvement. She said: “While we have seen some progress, the government have been too quick to claim that they’ve tangibly changed the justice system for rape survivors.”

Ms Simon said “we are barely off the starting blocks” - pointing out that many victims and survivors still do not report their assaults to the police. “And the majority who do,” she continued, “will leave the system altogether due to the barriers to justice they find themselves up against.”

On Operation Soteria, EVAW noted that the scheme is “one of the most promising outcomes of the government’s End-To-End Rape Review”, but argued it needed more independent oversight than is currently proposed and better funding if it is to succeed in transforming the way rape and other sexual offences are dealt with within policing.

Meanwhile, Rape Crisis argued the “progress” must be given more context, as while improvements have been made since 2016, “the criminal justice system’s response to rape in 2016 was not considered adequate - let alone aspirational.” And, while the data is “moving slowly in the right direction”, the processes and outcomes for “the majority of victims and survivors remain wholly unacceptable”.

Amelia Handy, the charity’s head of Policy and Public Affairs, said: “Although it is right to acknowledge progress, the rights of those subjected to sexual violence and abuse remain a technicality rather than a reality in the large majority of cases.”

She added that while it is important to increase things such as charge rates and conviction rates, the courts “must be able to” deal with the subsequently higher number of rape and sexual offence cases “competently”. This, she suggested, starts with dealing with the “record-high number” of victims and survivors currently awaiting trial.

Announcing the rape progress report on Monday (10 July), Mr Chalk said: “Rape and sexual violence are horrific crimes that can impact victims for the rest of their lives. That’s why we launched an action plan in the 2021 Rape Review to drive up prosecutions.

“We’ve made significant progress, hitting two of our Rape Review ambitions ahead of schedule, and there are more rape cases before the courts today than in 2010. Now we are going further, extending our action plan with more support for victims, encouraging survivors to come forward and see justice done.”

Launching Operation Soteria, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “As a society, too often we have failed the victims of sexual violence. I have been clear that we must transform the way these investigations are handled, to make sure that all victims have the best support possible throughout the entire process.

“This is a vital step in delivering on that promise. It will help ensure investigations focus on the suspect, and never on seeking to undermine the account of the victim, as well as placing the utmost importance on their rights and needs.”