In an examination of why rape prosecutions are declining, the Internal Affairs Selection Committee found that the unacceptably low number of rapes and sex crimes prosecutions will continue without significant reforms in the criminal justice system. Reforms should include setting up police rape teams in each force, which have been shown to speed up investigations and improve communication with victims, according to a report released Tuesday. The government should also make the provision of independent legal advice a higher priority, especially for victims who face “unnecessary, excessive requests” for information on their mobile phones, lawmakers said. This latest report comes weeks after a joint inspection by two government guards found multiple failures in the process from reporting a rape to a possible trial and conviction of an offender. In the year to September 2021, 63,136 rape offenses were recorded – an all-time high – but only 1.3% of recorded rape offenses resulted in a charge or summons. The number of completed rape prosecutions dropped from 5,190 in 2016-17 to 1,557 in 2020-21, the report said. Commissioner Diana Johnson, chairwoman of the committee, said the collapse in the number of rape and sex offenses prosecuted over the past five years was “really shocking and completely unacceptable”. “From now on, the focus must be on supporting the victims. Reporting an incident should be the beginning of justice, but instead it has become a source of further pain. The fact that even now almost two-thirds of cases collapse because a victim may not be able to bear it in the future is unthinkable. “Specific support should guide victims throughout the process and improved counseling to deal with the long-term effects. “We strongly urge the government to further pilot independent legal advice to victims and survivors who face requests from the police for access to data from their phones or third-party material.” The report called on the government to work with the police to ensure that specialized rape police teams can be set up in all police forces. “Despite the difference these groups make – including more timely investigations and improved communication with both victims and the CPS – a recent Freedom of Information request from the Guardian found that at least two-fifths of the police force in England and “Wales has not been set up,” the report said. Victims and survivors have faced demands for their data, which could lead to the collapse of some cases, the report said, and should be offered independent legal advice. “Some organizations have expressed their concern that the police and the CPS may make unnecessary, excessive requests for such data, almost as a matter of course. “This could lead to delays and breaches of confidentiality that even lead to the complainants resigning,” the report said. MEPs said the reforms should focus on the experience of victims seeking justice. Long delays in court cases, harmful evidence-gathering processes and poor service delivery keep people from seeking justice, they said. Programs aimed at improving performance in each of these areas are still in the pilot phase and will require improved funding to expand nationally. Counseling should be accessible to all victims and survivors, the report concluded. While increased funding for Independent Sexual Violence Counselors was welcome, the report said there was insufficient support for counseling and treatment in the long run. Jayne Butler, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said the report emphasized that the criminal justice system had failed miserably for victims of rape and survivors, and that government measures to rectify the situation lacked ambition and resources. “We are encouraged by the committee ‘s recognition of the importance of specialist sexual violence and abuse support services, as we know that criminal justice is only part of the survivors’ journey,” he said. “Long-term and specialized support is vital to ensuring the well-being of victims and survivors, and this specialized support must be available whether the victim or survivor chooses to report it or not.” A government spokesman said: “We are recruiting more sexual violence counselors, having pre-recorded data faster, improving co-operation between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, and increasing funding for victim support services to a minimum of 40 440 million over the next three years. “Recent data show that there has been a modest increase in the number of rape charges and that our reforms will further this progress.”
