Rape: Prosecutions and Support Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Rape: Prosecutions and Support

Baroness Chakrabarti Excerpts
Tuesday 29th November 2022

(1 year, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Bellamy Portrait Lord Bellamy (Con)
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The Government hope to bring forward the victims Bill as soon as possible but have no present plans to change the legislation on violence against women or, indeed, anybody else.

Baroness Chakrabarti Portrait Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab)
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My Lords, many women are facing a crisis of trust and confidence in the criminal justice system at the moment. I appreciate that the Minister is relatively new to this arena. However, there are people who believe that rape has effectively been decriminalised in our jurisdiction. That is a very serious matter. Would he consider meeting me, perhaps the noble Baroness, Lady Newlove—who is not in her place—other interested Members of your Lordships’ House and victims’ groups, including the Centre for Women’s Justice, to hear their experience before taking this work further forward?

Lord Bellamy Portrait Lord Bellamy (Con)
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I would certainly be prepared to meet the noble Baroness and others and, on that occasion, take everyone through the steps that we are taking to combat this problem.