Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Allegations of Rape: Effective Investigations

Monday 7 June 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Rebecca Long-Bailey inquired about the significant decline in rape charges and prosecutions, highlighting a backlog of 57,000 cases in the Crown court.
  • The minister responded that a robust review of the criminal justice response will be published to reverse the trend and ensure victims receive support.
  • Jess Phillips questioned the Home Secretary about the worsening situation of rape prosecutions and the low conviction rate, urging action from police and crime commissioners.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rebecca Long-Bailey Lab Salford
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The number of charges, prosecutions and convictions for rape has declined significantly in the past five years. A backlog of 57,000 cases exists in the Crown court.

Question

I am concerned about the significant decline in charges, prosecutions and convictions for rape over the last five years. There is a backlog of 57,000 cases in the Crown court, with victims often waiting years to go to trial. How are you ensuring effective investigations by the police?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

We have carried out a robust end-to-end review of the criminal justice response, which will be published shortly. It sets out clear action to reverse the trend and ensure victims receive support and perpetrators face justice.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify concrete steps or timelines for improving case outcomes and reducing delays.

How: Under Review

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Q2 Rebecca Long-Bailey Lab Salford
Justice & Courts
Context

A backlog of 57,000 cases exists in the Crown court with victims often waiting years to go to trial. Only a minority receive sufficient support to bring forward their case.

Question

There is currently a backlog of 57,000 cases in the Crown court, with victims of rape and serious sexual violence often left to wait years to go to trial. Sadly, they are the minority who received sufficient support to bring a case forward in the first place. Will you commit to bringing forward urgently proposals for the fast-tracking of rape and serious sexual assault cases? Will you confirm the creation of specialist rape and serious sexual violence units in every police force?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

We are undertaking work to shorten the timeframe between a report and a case getting to court. We will also develop expertise throughout the system to ensure victims get justice, focusing on perpetrators.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit specifically to fast-tracking cases or creating specialist units.

How: Under Consideration

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Q3 Jess Phillips Lab Birmingham Yardley
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

Rape prosecutions are at their lowest on record with only 1.6% of rape cases being charged.

Question

Rape prosecutions in England and Wales are at their lowest on record. One third of all violent crime recorded by the police is domestic abuse-related, and now only 1.6% of rape cases are even being charged, let alone convicted. This situation is worsening under the Home Secretary's watch. Will you ensure that violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse and sexual violence, is included in the definition of serious violence in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill?

Answer from Kit Malthouse

We are doing our utmost to turn around the conviction numbers. We will need assistance from police and crime commissioners and chief constables. The serious violence duty will be debated during the Bill Committee, but we hope all organisations step forward to play their part.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to including specific forms of violence against women in the bill.

How: Under Debate, Too Early

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