Question to the Attorney General:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the prosecution rate for rape.

The stark drop in the number of cases that have gone before a jury in recent years means too few victims are seeing justice. Closing the gap between reports of rape and prosecutions is an absolute priority for this Government. The CPS are undertaking extensive work to drive up and improve prosecutions through the Joint National RASSO Action Plan with the police, RASSO 2025, and the Operation Soteria pathways, which are currently underway in five CPS Areas.

Work already delivered by the CPS includes the publication of a National Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) Framework outlining baseline standards around the CPS’ work with ISVAs, the publication of a memorandum of understanding with the police on seeking early advice to support effective and efficient decision-making in rape cases, and the publication of a digital walk through, which explains for victims the process of a criminal trial.