Oral Answers to Questions

Irene Campbell Excerpts

Thursday 20th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Patrick (Wirral West) (Lab)]

1. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls.

[Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran) (Lab)]

2. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls.

[Matt Turmaine (Watford) (Lab)]

3. What steps she is taking to help increase prosecution rates in cases of violence against women and girls.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Solicitor General]

I am very sorry to hear of the case that my hon. Friend raises. As he knows, this Government inherited a criminal justice system in crisis with a record Crown court backlog, meaning that far too many victims such as his constituent are waiting too long for their day in court. As part of the domestic abuse joint justice plan, in his local area the Crown Prosecution Service is trialling an enhanced partnership between Merseyside and Cheshire police and CPS prosecutors, to ensure that charging decisions, including in rape and serious sexual offence cases, are made more swiftly and stronger cases are brought from the outset, with a view to quicker and more successful prosecutions.

[Irene Campbell]

As a former chair of North Ayrshire Women’s Aid, I know how low the prosecution rates are in cases of violence against women and girls, and how they can discourage people from coming forward at all. Victim withdrawal from prosecutions is also very high, for myriad reasons from poor treatment to long waiting times for court dates. What work is being done to make women feel more comfortable to come forward and report such cases, and to support them throughout the whole process?

[The Solicitor General]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s work in this area. She is right to raise the extremely important point of victim attrition, which is unacceptably high right across our United Kingdom. That is why we have taken swift action in England and Wales, through the CPS victim transformation programme, appointing victim liaison officers to support victims throughout the legal process. The Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has also pledged to make this issue a priority as part of his new direction for Scotland.