Oral Answers to Questions

Rupa Huq Excerpts

Thursday 25th May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

2. What steps she is taking to increase the proportion of cases relating to violence against women and girls that are prosecuted.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

5. What steps she is taking to increase the proportion of cases relating to violence against women and girls that are prosecuted.

[The Attorney General (Victoria Prentis)]

Tackling violence against women and girls remains one of the Government’s top priorities. We are doing everything possible to make our streets and homes safer for women and girls. Since the launch of the joint action plan, we have seen a significant increase in charge volumes for adult rape since January 2021.

[Dr Huq]

More than one in nine rape prosecutions were dropped last year because victims withdrew their support, crushed by what can be a three-year wait for their day in court and the humiliation of victim blaming. Will the Attorney General fix those problems and accept the joint inspectorate’s conclusions that the system is obviously failing rape victims when many of them find the legal process overlong and more harrowing than the original offence?

[The Attorney General]

I thank the hon. Lady for her interest in this matter; it is something she and I discussed for many years as colleagues on the Justice Committee. We know it is important that justice is given as speedily as possible. Digging into the attrition of victims, particularly in rape cases, is very salutary. It is one reason why the Government have increased the money available to support victims fourfold in recent times. On the law tour next week, which the Solicitor General referred to, we will be visiting an independent sexual violence adviser in Nottingham. We know that, where a victim has support, they are 50% less likely to withdraw from proceedings.