Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Victims of Crime

Thursday 13 November 2025 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions addressed support for victims of crime on 2025-11-13
  • A constituent of Shockat Adam experienced distress due to postponed trial dates
  • Jas Athwal welcomed the Government's mission to reduce violence against women and girls

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Shockat Adam Ind Leicester South
Justice & Courts Mental Health
Context

A constituent contacted Shockat Adam in severe distress due to being a victim of sexual abuse, with their criminal trial date postponed twice. This has caused significant anxiety and impacted mental health.

Question

A constituent contacted me in a severe state of distress because she is a victim of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, her distress is compounded by the fact that her criminal trial date has been postponed not once but twice, while her perpetrator is walking free in her neighbourhood. This is causing her immense anxiety and impacting her mental health. Will the Solicitor General outline what support the justice system can give to my constituent and other victims of severe sexual violence, especially given long court delays, and what steps she will take to ensure that no victim is left to feel abandoned by the system again?

Answer from The Solicitor General

I am very sorry to hear about the experience of the hon. Gentleman’s constituent, and I am sure our thoughts are with them. This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a record and rising Crown court caseload. Next year, we will fund the Crown courts to run at record levels to tackle the outstanding caseload, by funding 110,000 sitting days. The independent review of the criminal courts considered how to improve overall criminal court efficiency to provide swifter justice for victims, including victims of sexual offences.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Solicitor General did not specify support for Shockat Adam's constituent but instead discussed broader efforts to address court delays.

How: General Statement, Broad Initiative

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Q2 Jas Athwal Lab Ilford South
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

Jas Athwal referenced the alarming statistic that one in four women over the age of 16 have been sexually assaulted and the high barriers to reporting and pressing charges due to low conviction rates.

Question

I welcome the Government’s ambitious mission to reduce violence against women and girls. Many survivors who experience sexual assault will never go to the police or press charges due to appallingly low conviction rates and fears of being retraumatised during court proceedings. Given the alarming statistic that one in four women over the age of 16 have been sexually assaulted, what steps are the Government taking to make reporting and pressing charges a more realistic prospect for survivors?

Answer from The Solicitor General

This Government are committed to halving violence against women and girls, and that is my No. 1 priority as Solicitor General. The barriers that victims of rape and serious sexual violence face in this country are unacceptable, and the CPS is committed to improving its performance. These efforts are beginning to have an impact. Referral volumes for adult rape are on a sustained upward trend, and in the last quarter conviction volumes were at their highest level since 2016.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Solicitor General did not specify concrete steps or mechanisms to address reporting barriers but acknowledged efforts to improve performance and conviction rates.

How: Broad Initiative, General Statement

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