This finding comes at a concerning time. While the reporting of rape cases to the police have increased significantly, the number of cases charged by the public prosecutor has dropped markedly. In 2019/20, there were 55,000 rape reports to the police, but only 1,867 cases were charged. Moreover, the proportion of victims who chose to withdraw their support for their case has steadily risen, from 25% in 2015/16 to 41% in 2019/20.
The survey results make clear that survivors feel actively re-victimized by the very system meant to deliver justice. For survivors of this deeply damaging and highly prevalent crime to truly feel “the state is on their side,” the government’s review must drive radical cultural transformation across the criminal justice system.
In the survey, the survivors have told us:
- Being believed is one of the most important things to survivors, but many feel their credibility is tested through each stage of the criminal justice process
- Many survivors experienced poor treatment from individual criminal justice practitioners
- Survivors had serious concerns about the use of digital disclosure requests and how they felt that their privacy had been violated
- Prompt, proactive communication is very important to survivors, though many told us they had to chase for updates
- Survivors highly value the support given by victims’ services and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors
- Decisions to take no further action and not to prosecute can have devastating effects on survivors and it often appears to them that good evidence has not been considered and the reasons for discontinuing are insufficient.
- Survivors gave various reasons for not taking further action and withdrawing their rape complaints, such as fears of the criminal justice process and wanting to move on
- Survivors’ experience of the courtroom and rape trials is traumatic, they often feel isolated and attacked in the courtroom
- Survivors want to be treated sensitively, fairly, respectfully, to be believed, but also for criminal justice system professionals to better understand trauma, provide clear and timely information, and to offer better support services
- Rape survivors have low levels of confidence in the criminal justice system’s handling of rape complaints
This survey and the voices behind it reveal the extent of the crisis within our justice system.
