18 hours ago
Early handling of rape cases by Crown Prosecution Service ‘not good enough'
The handling of rape cases at an early stage by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is 'not good enough' and risks a poor service to victims, a watchdog has warned.
An inspection of the prosecuting body found while the number of rape cases being charged is increasing, urgent improvements are needed to improve the chances of convictions once they get to court.
Inspectors looking at cases before a suspect had been charged found prosecutors' analysis was often weak and failed to focus on the suspect's behaviour and actions before and after an alleged attack.
His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) said this hindered prosecutors being able to strengthen cases and over-focused on a victim's credibility.
The report said the most concerning findings were that prosecutors were not proactively addressing areas to support victims at the early stages of a case, such as poor consideration of bail, sexual harm prevention orders or requesting victim personal statements.
It found fewer than three in 10 cases fully met the standard for considering such matters to support victims.
HMCPSI chief inspector Anthony Rogers said: 'Rape is an abhorrent and devastating crime, causing victims to suffer long-term emotional and physical trauma that impacts every aspect of their lives.
'We know that the volume of rape charges has increased at both a national and local level, and CPS staff are working hard to drive improvement in the quality of complex and distressing rape casework.
'However, our latest inspection shows that the CPS urgently needs to improve. Their handling of rape cases at the pre-charge stage is not good enough – creating problems for cases as they proceed and risking a poor service to victims.'
Professor Katrin Hohl, independent adviser to the government on criminal justice responses to rape and sexual violence, said she was 'deeply troubled' by the findings of weak victim support.
She said: 'The inspection also found that the quality of pre-charge advice, case analysis and strategy was inadequate in two-thirds of cases.
'While this does not appear to negatively impact rape charging decisions, poor case quality causes trial delays and reduces the chances of conviction.
'This is letting victims down and contributes to the courts crisis.'
Inspectors called for the CPS to carry out eight recommendations including to develop a system that assesses and improves casework quality for rape cases and to offer meetings in every case before a decision is made about charging a suspect.
Director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the CPS fully accepts the conclusions and recommendations of inspectors, and said improving how the body prosecutes rape is his priority.
He said: 'We are implementing immediately an action plan to address these points, prioritising the safety of victims, making sure our focus is on the actions of the suspect and providing increased oversight, training and support for prosecutors.
' Reporting rape or sexual abuse takes tremendous courage, it is our responsibility to prosecute these cases with skill and care, prioritising the safety of victims and making sure they receive consistent support.'
The prosecuting chief added: 'I am pleased the inspectorate found at least one charge of rape or attempted rape was brought in every case they examined.
'Importantly, they also found appropriate charges were selected in the majority of the cases to reflect the seriousness and extent of the offending.
'CPS prosecutors care deeply about their work and, thanks to improved relationships with police, we have made strong progress in increasing both referrals and charges.
'This has also led to a significant increase in convictions, making sure more victims get the justice they deserve.'
Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC said she has asked for HMCPSI to issue an update in 12 months' time over the progress of the CPS in implementing the recommendations.
She added: 'This Government is treating violence against women and girls as the national emergency that it is, and we are committed both to cracking down on these vile crimes and ensuring that our criminal justice system delivers for victims.'
