Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of rape trial waiting times on people who have made allegations of rape.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Rape is an abhorrent crime, and its victims are some of the most vulnerable in the criminal justice system. Despite the judiciary prioritising cases involving vulnerable complainants and witnesses, rape victims can wait disproportionately longer the victims of other cases for their trial.
Addressing this issue is central to this Government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. We have committed to fast-tracking rape cases through the courts and will work with the judiciary to find the best way to deliver this nationally.
In addition, we are introducing specialist rape and sexual offence teams in every police force and will be rolling out free, independent legal advocates for victims of adult rape. The legal advocates will provide legal advice to victims on disclosure requests and potential appeals, reducing the number of those dropping out of the system.