Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown calls on the Government to do more to reduce delays in the criminal justice system on serious sexual and rape cases as some cases are taking five years or more from prosecution to trial, and some traumatised victims are simply disappearing because they can not stand it any longer.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (North Cotswolds) (Con)
In the last Session, when the Public Accounts Committee looked at the effect of delays in the criminal justice system on serious sexual and rape cases, it found that some cases were taking five years or more from prosecution to trial, and that some of the poor traumatised victims were simply disappearing because they could not stand it any longer. Without entering into the blame game, what can the Minister do to improve that situation?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Alex Davies-Jones)
The hon. Member is right that, although we do not want to get into the blame game, the current status of the criminal justice system is truly appalling. Rape trials are not getting as fast-tracked as they should be, and we are working at pace to try to remedy that situation. Currently, 60% of rape victims are pulling out of the criminal justice system. The attrition rate is far too high, and I am working with officials to improve that rate and to improve victims’ experience at court.