Rape victims being “systematically let down” by government, Cooper warns

Yvette Cooper has warned that rape victims are being “systematically let down” by the government after it was revealed that rape and other sexual offences reported to the police were at their highest level on record.

According to data published by the Office for National Statistics today, sexual offences recorded by the police were at their highest level on record in the year ending September 2022, at 199,021. The statistics revealed that 35% of all sexual offences were rape offences, with a total of 70,633 cases recorded.

Crime outcomes data released by the Home Office today revealed that just 1.6% of recorded rapes in the same timeframe resulted in a suspect being charged. For all sexual offences, the figure was 3.2%.

Commenting on the statistics, the Shadow Home Secretary said: “Today’s figures show that, of the nearly 200 people who report a rape to the police today, just three will see their case go to court. That is truly shameful. These figures have plummeted over the last seven years.

“Rape victims are being systematically let down by this government, with action against rapists totally failing to keep up with record levels of reporting.

“Labour has a plan to put a specialist rape unit in every police force in England and Wales, paired with specialist rape courts to fast-track cases through the system. Victims of these hideous crimes need and deserve the best possible support.”

The Commons home affairs committee concluded in a report in April last year that charging, prosecution and conviction levels for rape remain “shamefully low”. Its report argued that public confidence in the ability of the criminal justice system to handle cases is at “what could be its lowest point”.

Commenting following the report’s publication, committee chair and Labour MP Diana Johnson said: “The collapse in the number of prosecutions for rape and sexual offences over the last five years is truly shocking and completely unacceptable.

“While it is clear that significant effort is being put in to reversing this decline across the criminal justice system, there is much further to go. Thousands of victims are failing to get the justice they deserve, and this has to stop.”

Speaking on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in November, Keir Starmer said it is his “personal mission” to tackle violence against women and girls and accused the government of “failing” to protect women.

The Labour leader said his party “would act to protect women”, adding: “Here are three ways we’ll do that. Impose tougher sentences for rape, stalking and domestic murder, including a minimum sentence for rape of seven years and whole-life tariffs for rape, abduction and murder.

“Roll out new specialist rape courts, fast-tracking rape cases and supporting victims. Establish a new domestic violence register for serial domestic abusers and stalkers.”

Cooper declared at party conference in September that a Labour government would act on the “epidemic” of violence against women and girls, announcing that the party would deliver specialist support for victims by putting domestic abuse experts into 999 control rooms in every police force.

She told conference: “Today, across our country, more than 300 women will be raped. Of those, around 190 rapes will be reported. Of those, only three rapists will see the inside of a court room, never mind a prison cell. The rest will be free to hurt, abuse and rape again. We cannot stand for this.”