Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has welcomed plans to roll out specialist courts prioritising rape and other sexual offences across England and Wales.
Under a series of reforms announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, every Crown Court in England and Wales will get at least one courtroom set up to hear rape and sexual offence cases over the next two years, ensuring more perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.
In other upgrades introduced, courts will offer private entrances and waiting rooms to shield victims from defendants as part of an overhaul designed to put victims ‘front and centre’ of the criminal justice system.
Trials will also be assigned fixed dates rather than put on ‘floating lists’ where they can be moved at short notice and delayed several months while court staff will receive trauma-informed training as part of a package of reforms to ensure victims’ needs are met throughout the court process.
The changes form part of a series of promises aimed at tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), which the Government has vowed to halve within a decade.
Since being elected in 2021, the County Durham and Darlington PCC has lobbied successive governments relentlessly for improved rights and care for all victims, especially those impacted by serious sexual offences.
In previous correspondence to the late Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove, the PCC outlined a top ten ‘wish list’ of improvements that her three Victims’ Champions had identified from research with local victims of crime.
The list included the introduction of specialist RASSO (Rape and Serious Sexual Offences) courts, a re-examination of court listing policies, and a review of court ergonomics and the setting of compulsory standards including separate entrances for victims and defendants.
In a previous lobbying letter to Lord Justice Edis over the spiralling court backlog for rape and other sexual offences, the PCC called for an ambitious programme to reduce delays including the introduction of specialist courts to fast-track cases and an end to ‘floater trials’, drawing on her own research in Durham of the emotional toll of over-listing, re-listing and adjournments on victims.
And in a letter to Sir Brian Leveson during his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, the Commissioner again put forward the idea of specialist courts as a solution for the backlog of rape, sexual offences and Domestic abuse cases which she argued would deliver faster justice and help reduce the anxiety and trauma experienced by victims.
Commenting on the Prime Minister’s announcement, Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “I wholeheartedly welcome these long-overdue reforms, which I have championed relentlessly since first being elected as Commissioner.
“For too long, victims have paid the price for a criminal justice system beset by delays, adjournments and inefficiency. Time and again, I have heard first-hand from survivors whose lives have been put on hold while they wait for justice, with devastating consequences for their wellbeing, relationships, finances and mental health.
“These changes mark a significant step towards a justice system that finally recognises the unique challenges faced by victims of rape and serious sexual offences. By putting survivors’ needs at the heart of the process, we can give more victims the confidence to come forward and ensure those already seeking justice receive the support they need to cope, recover and rebuild their lives.
“Every victim deserves to be heard, believed and treated with dignity. We must never lose sight of the immense courage it takes to report these crimes. Our justice system should be built around that courage, delivering timely justice, keeping victims informed and making them central to every decision. That is the standard victims deserve, and it is the standard we must continue striving to achieve.”
The PCC has vowed in her Police, Crime and Justine Plan to deliver a first-class service to all victims of crime.
Among several victim-focused commitments, the PCC has promised to deliver a high-quality service at every stage of their case and that all entitlements under the Victims Code are delivered consistently.
