North Yorkshire charity welcomes specialist rape and sexual offence courts
IDAS says it "cautiously" welcomes the latest announcements
A North Yorkshire charity says it's "cautiously" welcoming plans for specialist courtrooms to deal with rape and sexual offences.
Earlier this week Andy Burnham announced plans for specialist courts to deal with rape and sexual offences will be rolled out across England and Wales.
Every Crown Court will have at least one courtroom dedicated to hearing such cases set up in the next two years, officials said.
Victims will be offered a private entrance and private waiting room to keep them away from the defendant, which they already have a right to request but currently depends upon availability.
Court staff will also be given “trauma-informed training” with a single person of contact assigned to each survivor as part of the package of measures are expected to cost around £23 million from the Ministry of Justice budget.
From October, trials will be given a fixed date rather than placed on floating lists in what the Prime Minister described as an effort to “rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first.”
In a statement the domestic violence and sexual abuse charity IDAS said:
We cautiously welcome the latest announcements about specialist courts to manage rape and serious sexual offence cases.
For too long, we have seen low conviction rates, excruciatingly long waiting times and unsympathetic treatment of victims who courageously navigate an arduous criminal justice process to prevent perpetrators from harming others.
We have long advocated for trauma informed training for court staff and welcome its introduction alongside a single point of contact for victims. These measures have the potential to significantly improve survivors’ experience and safety in court.
"We need a justice system that puts victims at its heart"
However, the existing court estate presents significant challenges to delivering practical changes that can help survivors feel safer, such as separate waiting rooms and reliable video links. The Government must be cautious not to overpromise and underdeliver for survivors. In a recent consultation, one survivor told us she was relieved to be able to give video evidence, only for the technology to fail repeatedly. This delayed her case by 18 months and ultimately meant she had to give evidence in person.
Survivors tell us how detrimental delays, relisting and rescheduled court dates are on their mental health and how repeated delays can lead them to disengage from the criminal justice process as a way of protecting themselves.
Rape and sexual assault cases should never be listed as ‘floating’ trials, where dates can be repeatedly rescheduled, causing further uncertainty and compounding trauma for survivors.
Investment to deliver these changes is welcome, however the £23 million investment is likely to fall short of what is needed to make these changes a reality.
We need a justice system that puts victims at its heart, supports them to participate safely and effectively, and gives survivors confidence that their cases will be taken seriously. When survivors are able to navigate the justice system with appropriate support, there is a greater opportunity for perpetrators to be held accountable and for our communities to be safer. These changes must therefore be delivered at pace, with clear accountability for ensuring they work in practice.