Rape victim 'let down' by Covid court delays

The woman told the BBC she feels she is being "let down constantly"

A woman who has seen the trial of her alleged rapist postponed due to the Covid pandemic says it made her "wish I didn't report it in the first place".

The woman, in her 20s, who is not being named, told the BBC she feels she is being "let down constantly".

Safe Link, a Bristol-based charity supporting rape victims, said it is now taking an extra year for cases to come to court.

The Ministry of Justice said it was "prioritising the most urgent cases".

According to government statistics there are now 42,000 criminal cases waiting to come to court in England and Wales.

The woman said she "just wants to move on with her life" after waiting more than three years for her case to come to court before it was delayed again earlier this year.

She said the constant cancellations were a "revolving door you never come out of" which have caused her "incredible pain".

She told the BBC her mental health was also affected after her court case was postponed.

"I have to take my anti-depressants and stuff like that again just to feel a little bit better… I just want it over and done with."

Safe Link's Sarah O'Leary said "more and more victims" say they do not want to continue with a case

Safe Link service manager Sarah O'Leary said: "Even before Covid, it was taking longer and longer to get to court. So we're seeing two to three years.

"Now with the backlog with Covid it's an extra year on top of that, so three to four years.

"We're seeing more and more victims say they don't want to carry on with a case. The impact is profound."

Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens described the situation as a "crisis" which needs a "radical" solution.

She said: "We have to get some real motoring through the trials because otherwise we will be really letting down our victims and witnesses."

The government has pledged an extra £80m in financial support for HM Courts and Tribunals Service to "meet the unprecedented challenge presented by the pandemic".

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "We are boosting capacity across the estate by opening more Nightingale Courts and testing extended hours, while prioritising the most urgent cases."