Cambridgeshire rape survivors' court waits more than double

A rape charity said there were "traumatised individuals whose access to justice is being severely limited"

Rape survivors in Cambridgeshire have seen one of the largest increases in court case delays in England and Wales, figures suggest.

The average length of an adult rape case, from charge to conclusion, has more than doubled since June 2016, from six months to more than 15 months.

The charity Cambridge Rape Crisis (CRC) said it was "deeply concerned".

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said more needed to be done to ensure rape survivors received justice.

Seven years ago, Cambridgeshire had the lowest rape case lengths in England and Wales. Since then, MoJ figures to the year ending June 2023 suggested it had seen the second highest percentage increase in delays nationally.

Ellie Ball, from CRC, said: "Behind these figures are traumatised individuals whose access to justice is being severely limited, if not denied, by a system that is at breaking point."

Hertfordshire was the only other area to see a larger percentage increase in rape case delays, with average case lengths increasing from eight months to 19 months since 2016.

The courts system currently has a backlog of more than 2,300 rape cases - the highest since at least June 2015. These started building up after courts were shut down during the pandemic.

In 2021, the government launched a review of rape cases in the UK, aiming to increase the number that made it to court.

If you are affected by issues raised in this story, links to organisations that offer support can be found at BBC Action Line.

The report that followed looked to change how rape cases were investigated, removing the emphasis from the credibility of survivors to create more balanced investigations.

Recently, the number of cases being referred to courts by the police, charges brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and cases reaching court has risen.

Crown courts now have more days to sit and process rape cases

An MoJ spokesperson said the CPS prosecuted more adult rape cases in 2022 than in 2010, with about 1,700 compared with 1,600. However, the number of convictions fell, with 459 in 2022 versus 508 previously.

They added the department had also launched a new victim support line, increased the number of days crown courts can sit and process cases and introduced new laws to ensure rapists spend their entire sentence in prison.

But despite government commitments to improving the criminal justice system at a national level, Ms Ball said: "We know the reality on the ground for survivors is that the situation continues to get worse."

Tana Adkin KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said barristers prosecuting and defending rape and serious sexual offences were calling for further resources, and for courts to "give priority" to these cases.

"If justice is not served in good time, it is not served at all," she added.