- Published
Specialist courts to handle cases of rape and other sexual offences will be introduced across England and Wales over the next two years, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced.
asserted
Burnham → publish → years
Each crown court will be equipped with at least one courtroom dedicated to hearing such cases.
asserted
court → equip → cases
They will offer victims private entrances and waiting rooms to separate them from defendants, and there will be new training for court staff and fixed dates for trials.
asserted
They → offer → trials
Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the measures, which are expected to cost around £23m, as a "significant step forward" for the justice system that addressed a number of reforms it had been requesting for many years.
asserted
it → welcome → years
"Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims and survivors, which is crucial to securing justice," said the charity's chief executive, Ciara Bergman.
asserted
executive → take → justice
The government said the changes follow Labour MP Charlotte Nichols showing "immense strength and bravery" in speaking publicly about being raped and calling for changes to the justice system.
asserted
Nichols → say → system
Nichols waived her automatic right to anonymity in March when she made a Commons speech and described having to wait more than 1,000 days to go to court.
asserted
she → waive → court
Under the new measures, to be funded out of the Ministry of Justice budget, court staff will be given "trauma-informed training" and a single person of contact will be assigned to each survivor.
asserted
person → fund → survivor
From next month, trials will be given a fixed date rather than placed on floating lists in what Burnham said was an effort to "rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first".
asserted
Burnham → give → victims
Earlier this year, the government announced that rape victims would be given access to specialist legal advice throughout the criminal justice process.
asserted
victims → announce → process
Labour promised in its 2024 manifesto to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
asserted
Labour → promise → decade
"For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system," Burnham said.
asserted
Burnham → let → system
"Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice.
asserted
victims → remain → justice
The changes were "long overdue" and would make a "significant difference" but focusing on prosecution alone would not be enough, he added.
"So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place," the prime minister said.
asserted
minister → make → place
Nichols spoke publicly for the first time about being raped when she accused the then Justice Secretary, David Lammy, of using crime victims as a "cudgel" to push through his reforms of the legal system.
asserted
she → speak → system
She was criticising the Courts and Tribunals Bill's plans to limit jury trials to cases with a likely prison sentence of three years or more.
asserted
She → criticise → years
She said she had waited 1,088 days to go to court, with every day being "agony" and the "trauma" made worse by her role in public life.
asserted
day → say → life
Her attacker, she said, was acquitted at crown court but subsequently ordered to pay compensation after she won a civil case against him.
asserted
she → say → him
"It is because I have been raped that I am as passionate as I am about what it means for a justice system to be truly victim-focused," she said.
asserted
she → rap → what
"It is because I have endured every indignity that our broken criminal justice system could mete out that I care what kind of reform will actually deliver justice for survivors and victims of crime more widely."
uncertain
kind → endure → crime
Responding to news of the specialist courts being rolled out, the Conservatives said tackling delays to criminal rape trials was "long overdue" and they pushed Labour to commit to scrapping plans to restrict jury trials.
asserted
they → respond → trials
"The fact that victims have been withdrawing their cases because they have taken too long has been a disgrace," said shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy.
asserted
Timothy → withdraw → cases
"Labour need to get courts sitting throughout the year, end the delays and clear the backlog – not undermine our right to a trial by jury."
asserted
courts → need → jury
Last year another charity, the Salford Survivor Project, said victims of rape and sexual assault were being "failed by the system" as court backlogs reached a record high.
asserted
backlogs → say → high
The long delays for cases to go to trial were having a serious impact on victims' mental health, it said.
asserted
it → go → health
Also last year, a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver on her 21st birthday told BBC News she had dropped the case because of court delays.
asserted
she → say → delays
She reported the alleged incident in early 2022 and gave evidence in court in December 2023 but the case was adjourned until September 2024 when the judge fell ill.
asserted
judge → report → September
"I made the decision, even though I hate the statement, to drop the case," she said.
asserted
she → make → case
"I couldn't let this hurt me further."
asserted
this → let → me
The Crown Prosecution Service said that, without her testimony, the case had been dropped because of insufficient evidence.
asserted
case → say → evidence
The Aporia
