Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 48 of The End-to-End Rape Review Report on Findings and Actions, published on 17 June 2021, what steps he is taking to ensure victim credibility is not undermined by rape myths and their influence on the court room.

As part of the recently published End-to-End Rape Review Report on Findings and Actions, the Government announced that the Law Commission has agreed to examine the law, guidance and practice relating to the use of evidence in prosecutions of serious sexual offences and consider the need for reform. The project will likely consider issues including the way rape myths are tackled as part of the court process. As set out in that Report, the Government is committed to implementing the findings of the Law Commission within 12-24 months.

In addition to this work, and as also set out in the Rape Review report, the CPS has recently, following consultation, updated its rape legal guidance to include more content on rape myths and stereotypes, and prosecutors are being trained on this updated guidance to ensure they do not adversely affect decision-making. In addition, recognising that communication has a role to play in changing harmful societal attitudes that lead to rape myths and stereotypes, the Government is working to develop a campaign to create long-term behaviour change.