Violence against women campaigners have been quick to point out how much work is still to be done, after the government announced an increase in rape convictions.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has reported that “significant progress” has been made because of a return to a pre-2016 rate for rape convictions – this comes after a 2020 review revealed that reports of rape that resulted in prosecution had declined since 2016. Rape prosecutions had also dropped to the lowest on record, which led campaigners to declare the effective “decriminalisation of rape”.
Two of the three ambitions set out in the government’s action plan have been achieved, which included restoring the number of police referrals and returning the amount of cases reaching court to 2016 levels. The rate of adult rape cases that have been referred by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service has increased by 41% on the 2016 quarterly average. Meanwhile, the government’s third goal is to increase rape charges.
Even though this is a step forward, it’s definitely fair to say that a pretty low bar has been set when considering progress in the quest to end violence against women. The government’s report itself says there is still work to be done, but campaigners have been quick to emphasise this point as well.
According to Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, we are just at the beginning of a very long journey – and the government shouldn’t forget this.
“While we have seen some progress, the government have been too quick to claim that they’ve tangibly changed the justice system for rape survivors. We’re barely off the starting blocks, but we now have a road map, which is going to need a lot of support to realise its ambitions,” she says.
“It still remains the case that the vast majority of rape survivors don’t report to the police, and the majority who do will leave the system altogether due to the barriers to justice they find themselves up against.”
There are a multitude of factors to consider when it comes to “significant progress”, including assessing a wider culture change in policing, ensuring survivors are protected, that true justice is realised and reducing the amount of victims withdrawing from investigations.
For instance, official government data found earlier this year that nearly 70% of rape survivors dropped out of the justice system in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The government have introduced Operation Soteria, which is described as a “new model for investigating rape” and will be rolled out across police forces in England and Wales. By April 2024 the Operation is set to introduce 2,000 additional police investigators that will be specially trained in rape and sexual offences – new recruits will also be required to take rape and sexual offences training.
EVAW insist that more can be done, though – that the Victims and Prisoners Bill, for example, also needs to be amended to accommodate legal advice and additional protections for survivors.
It must “guarantee rape survivors free, independent legal advice throughout the justice process and legally protect their private therapy notes”.
So, while we can celebrate movements forward, EVAW insist that the data mustn’t be read as a complete victory.