Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to increase prosecution rates for cases relating to violence against women and girls in Surrey.

In 2023-24, in the Surrey police force area, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted 487 cases flagged for domestic abuse and 41 cases flagged for rape.

The CPS uses thematic monitoring flags to track progress and performance surrounding certain types of cases within its case management system (CMS). "Flags " are identified and applied by lawyers and administrative staff. Monitoring flags currently exist within CMS for the following VAWG-related offences: rape; domestic abuse; so-called honour abuse / violence; forced marriage; and child abuse.

These figures for 2023-24 represent an increase from 434 and 30 in 2022-23, respectively.

The CPS has already produced a new operating model for the prosecution of rape based on robust evidence from Operation Soteria and launched the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan with policing in November 2024. The early results of improvements in partnership working with policing under the plan have already led to modest initial increases in domestic abuse referrals, setting a strong foundation for future improvements.

In September 2024, the CPS prosecuted the third conviction for female genital mutilation (FGM) and the first conviction of conspiring to commit FGM in England and Wales. This marks a significant milestone and demonstrates the growing effectiveness of prosecuting these cases.

However, more can be done to increase prosecution rates for VAWG, in Surrey and across the country. This Government’s ambition is to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, as part of our Safer Streets Mission, and delivering effective prosecutions is a key part of this.

To address the increasing complexity of VAWG offending, and holistic needs of victims, the CPS is producing a new VAWG strategy which will be published in spring 2025.