Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Victims of Rape and Sexual Violence

Tuesday 16 September 2025 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 4 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Kirith Entwistle questioned the Minister about the difficulties victims of sexual violence face in the court system and the support available to them.
  • Lisa Smart raised concerns over the long delays in bringing cases to trial, referencing a constituent's six-year wait for justice.
  • Pam Cox inquired about the Justice Committee's discussion on special measures to support vulnerable witnesses in rape and sexual assault cases.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kirith Entwistle Lab Bolton North East
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

The MP referenced constituent stories highlighting the isolating and intimidating nature of court proceedings for rape and sexual violence victims, emphasizing the need for timely support.

Question

I have heard far too many stories from constituents who have endured sexual violence and rape. They tell me how isolating and intimidating the court system can feel and how difficult it can be to get the support they need. Will the Minister reassure me and those constituents that this Government are doing everything they can to ensure that victims and survivors of rape and sexual violence are supported in a timely manner?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

I thank my hon. Friend for that important question. She is a tireless advocate for all victims of violence against women and girls. She will know that this Government are committed to supporting those victims in court through measures such as section 28, the witness service and our victim liaison officers. To further support victims, the Ministry of Justice also funds support services such as independent sexual violence advocates and independent domestic violence advocates. We are also committed to introducing free, independent legal advisers for victims of adult rape across England and Wales, and I hope to announce more on that measure soon.

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Q2 Lisa Smart Lib Dem Hazel Grove
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP mentioned a constituent's case where the court date for her sexual assault trial was pushed back multiple times over several years, highlighting the negative impact of such delays.

Question

My constituent Louise reported her sexual assault to the police back in 2021. She has had court dates pushed back twice and the trial is now expected in December 2026, nearly six years after reporting it to the police. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of such delays on victim-survivors, who are also witnesses, and of the impact on the quality of the eventual court case?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

I thank the hon. Member for that really important question. All my thoughts are with Louise and, sadly, so many like her who are waiting for justice. We know that justice delayed is justice denied. That is why we asked Sir Brian Leveson to conduct the once-in-a-generation reform of our criminal courts system: to ensure that we have a criminal justice system fit for the future, which breaks down the backlog on our court cases so that victims such as Louise are no longer waiting for justice.

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Q3 Pam Cox Lab Colchester
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP referred to evidence heard by the Justice Committee about special measures used to support vulnerable or intimidated witnesses, particularly in rape and sexual assault cases.

Question

Last week the Justice Committee heard evidence about the use of special measures to support vulnerable or intimidated witnesses to give their best evidence. That is obviously so important in rape and sexual assault cases. Will the Minister reaffirm her support for the continuing use of those measures, despite some debate about the evidence of their effectiveness?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

I was pleased to attend the Justice Committee to discuss how important section 28 is to vulnerable witnesses and victims, and the difference that it makes by allowing victims of rape and sexual offence crimes specifically to be maintained within the justice system, allowing them to give their evidence in a safe manner that is more accessible to them. In a justice system where currently 60% of rape victims are withdrawing from the process because of the backlog, the waits and how traumatic it is, anything that helps them to be maintained in the criminal justice system is worth championing.

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Q4 Liz Jarvis Lib Dem Eastleigh
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP highlighted a case where a victim of domestic abuse waited 18 months for her court date, which was then postponed again.

Question

My constituent waited 18 months to face her abuser in court, only to be told the day before the trial was supposed to begin that it had been postponed until May 2026. How are victims of domestic abuse supposed to get redress and closure when they face such intolerable delays?

Answer from Alex Davies-Jones

It is unacceptable that this is being allowed to carry on in our courts, which is why we are taking that fundamental reform, because without victims we would not have a criminal justice system and it is important that we put them at the heart of this. We are funding independent domestic abuse advocates to support victims, to get them through the system quicker. We are also committed to rolling out more specialist domestic abuse courts. That was one of the clear recommendations of the Leveson review, and it is something that the Courts Minister, my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Finchley and Golders Green (Sarah Sackman), and I are working closely on to support victims, but I will happily discuss this further with the hon. Member to ensure that we get this right for victims of domestic abuse.

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