Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) ensure police forces pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry to avoid categorising victim-based offences cases as a evidential difficulties outcome prematurely and (b) support police forces to reduce the number of victim-based cases being categorised as a evidential difficulties outcome.

The police have a duty to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, as set out in the Code of Practice under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996.

The Home Office works with policing and the Crown Prosecution Service to improve all case outcomes, including best efforts to secure justice for all victims. A joint Police and Crown Prosecution Service action plan is implementing recommendations from a recent Criminal Justice Joint Inspectorates’ inspection, which will include improvements around ensuring evidential material is sufficiently robust for a prosecution to proceed. This applies to all cases, including victim-based offences, and supports efforts to reduce closures due to evidential difficulties.