Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the context of delays in cases coming to trial for sexual offences, whether extra police monitoring is currently in place for people accused of sexual offences while they are awaiting trial.

Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence is a key priority for this Government. In June 2021, we published the End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan which outlined a robust programme of work that aims to achieve a significant improvement in the way the criminal justice system responds to rape and sexual offences against adults.

Where the police consider an individual poses a risk which means they require additional monitoring while awaiting trial, there are additional tools available.

The Bail Act 1976 governs the duties resting on a person granted bail in criminal proceedings and the various requirements which may be attached to a grant of bail. The court may impose a wide range of additional requirements by granting bail subject to specific conditions, known as 'conditional bail' (s. 3(6)). Consideration should always be given to the use of appropriate bail conditions if there is a fear of attack, intimidation of harassment.

Individuals who are already convicted of a sexual offence may be subject to the notification requirements for registered sex offenders and/or may have requirements imposed on them via a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Individuals who have not been convicted of any offence but who pose a risk of harm to the public in the UK and/or children or vulnerable adults abroad may be made subject to a Sexual Risk Order (SRO). Both orders can place a range of restrictions on individuals depending on the nature of the case, including preventing travel abroad. Where appropriate, an interim order may be applied for to manage risk while the court process is ongoing.

The Home Office publishes data on the number of sexual offences with a charge within its ‘Police recorded outcomes’ Tables. However, it is not possible to identify if the person charged was awaiting a trial.