A thread on why Government targets for rape prosecutions are dangerous, counter productive and ignore the real problems in the CJS

Downing Street plans rape prosecution targets for police and CPS https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/aug/09/downing-street-to-set-rape-prosecution-targets-police-and-cps?CMP=share_btn_tw

A large proportion of my practise involves cases involving serious sexual violence. There is no doubt these cases are difficult, sensitive and involve a large number of resources from the police, medical professionals, rape crisis organisations, support advocates and the CJS

Prosecution rates for rape are low and conviction rates even lower, sitting around the 6% mark. Sexual activity by its nature is a private act so these cases often come down to one persons word against another. Complainants in these cases need significant support & after care

And here's the problem. Police numbers, including specialised officers trained to deal with rape cases, have been cut by the government. The CPS have suffered cuts. 295 courts have been closed since 2010.
What does this mean?
Fewer trained officers to investigate these cases,

Fewer specialist sex prosecutors to review the cases & if it does get to court a long wait before it comes to trial. This all means delay. Imagine being a victim of rape having to wait for over a year to give evidence because there aren't enough courts to hear the case

Imagine you have to relive your trauma through a trial a year down the line & can't access counselling in the meantime because the government cut funding for rape crisis centres too.

The CPS tried their own 60% conviction rate which was to be frank a complete failure. Government targets undermine the independence of the CPS who prosecute cases where there is enough evidence to provide a "realistic prospect of conviction"& prosecution is in the public interest

Targets place undue pressure on the CPS to prosecute weak cases unfairly putting a complainant through the trauma of a trial where there may not be a realistic prospect of conviction for any number of reasons.

To increase the numbers we need to increase public faith in the CJS

The Government say they "are determined to restore faith in the justice system & give victims of rape the confidence that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice". But they won't do the one thing that would actually help - investing in the CJS

Investing in specialist officers, investing in the CPS, investing in the court system, investing in rape crisis centres and mental health providers. Stop playing for headlines about being tough on crime and actually do something to fix it by funding the system properly.

Maybe then the public can have faith that the system will work when they need it, that they might actually get justice. The Government can then pat themselves on the back when the yearly crime statistics improve since the numbers game is sadly what is driving this target culture

#thelawisbroken #rapetargets #fundthecriminaljusticesystem