CPS pledges to improve rape conviction rates
The Crown Prosecution Service has said it is determined to ensure more rape cases end up in court after admitting "too few victims are seeing justice".
The CPS said victims were "at the heart of every case" and that it was always looking for ways to improve.
The pledge came after an Express & Star investigation revealed only five per cent of rape reports since 2016 had resulted in a suspect being charged - with the figure plunging to just 1.5 per cent last year.
Campaigners say the figures show rape victims are being failed by the system and that too many offenders are getting away with committing a serious crime.
Questions have also been asked about whether the threshold set by the CPS for taking cases to court is too high.
The CPS insisted it is determined to improve prosecution rates but argued rape cases are some of the most challenging to solve.
Siobhan Blake, CPS lead for rape and serious sexual offences prosecutions and chief crown prosecutor for CPS West Midlands, said: “At the CPS, we are determined to reverse the drop in rape and sexual offence cases going to court. Too few victims are seeing justice, and we want to change that.
“These cases are some of the most challenging and sensitive to prosecute, but we are committed to improving every aspect of how they are handled.
“The specialist lawyers at CPS West Midlands recognise that victims are at the heart of every case and we are always looking for ways to improve victims’ experience in the criminal justices system at this most stressful and traumatic time in their lives.”
