A Peterborough charity says the time it takes for a domestic abuse case to go through court can harm victims
We can exclusively reveal the average time this takes has nearly doubled in a five year period
Peterborough Women's aid says long waits for domestic abuse cases to go to court can put victims through additional trauma.
It's as the average time this takes has nearly doubled in a five year period.
Victims aren't getting the justice they need
Figures from the CPS show in 2018 it was taking around 85 days from the point of charge to conclusion.
However, by June 2024 that shot up to 165 days.
Now, charities are calling for cases to have timeframe for how long it takes to get through the courts.
Victims have been convinced to withdraw their statements
Mandy Geraghty Peterborough Women's Aid said:
"We have had a number of victims who have been approached by a perpetrator in the time it takes."
"They've been convinced to withdraw their statements, meaning their case doesn't go to court."
"This is really disturbing because it means perpetrators aren't getting the convictions, and the victims aren't getting the justice they need."
"They are still living in fear of what the perpetrator might do if they're still in the community."
"I think there definitely should be a timeframe or guidance for how long domestic abuse cases take to get through the criminal justice system; however, there's a number of factors affecting this."
We need more resources to be able to do this
As well as the devastating impact this has on victims, the charity says it means they are busy for longer and need more resources to help everyone.
"It is making our service busier because we support our clients right through the criminal justice system, which means we are supporting clients for a longer time."
"We need more resources to be able to do this."