Suffolk domestic abuse charity says long waiting times put victims off seeking legal action
Some victims face waits of between two and five years to see a case go to trial
A domestic abuse charity in Suffolk tells us long waiting times for cases to be heard in court are putting victims off of taking legal action against their abusers.
It comes after the Director of Public Prosecutions said yesterday that delays in the criminal justice system are "probably worse than I've ever known them to be" - with some victims facing waits of between two and five years to see a case go to trial.
"Devastating"
Rhys Lloyd is from the domestic abuse charity Leeway.
He tells us these long wait times can have a concerning impact on victims: "The impacts are absolutely devastating - particularly with domestic abuse, there's always that fear of 'will I be believed?'
"Some people even downplay what's happened to them and put it off as 'maybe I'm doing something wrong, maybe I just need to be a better partner, or maybe I'm I'm part to blame for this'.
"So I think for them to have to relive that and be told (by the defence) you are making perhaps a big deal out of something that is quite minor - It is going to have a massive impact on that person.
"...And I think for a lot of people, that's that's why understandably, they, they just don't want to go through the court proceedings."
Some 20% of adult rape cases, where there had been a charge, stopped between March and May this year because the victim no longer supported a prosecution - around two out of 10 cases.
Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson says he understands the distress this wait is causing to victims: "The reality for many people is they just simply cannot get on with their lives while the situation is unresolved.
"I feel quite strongly that we need to do better in the criminal justice system as a whole, and obviously within the Crown Prosecution Service, to provide better support for victims."
"You've got to prioritise"
We asked Rhys what he would like to see change in order to improve the current situation: "You have to really look at what you can do to move things along.
"That might be having dedicated days where you hear cases around violence against women and girls such as domestic abuse, stalking, harassment.
"I think you've almost got to prioritise some of those cases that have that immediacy...
"I would hope that we could perhaps try and find a way where we could almost fast track those types of cases. Get them to court at the earliest possible stage and just look and see if we can bring things along quicker."
What is being done to improve the situation?
Setting out a plan on Thursday to curb the "high level" of victim attrition, where they withdraw support for prosecutions, Mr Parkinson said there was "absolutely no doubt" that the delays faced by victims are "totally unacceptable".
The plans include a focus on improving how prosecutors communicate, so they can provide clear information and be more empathetic.
At the same time prosecutors are being urged to speak directly to police in a bid to speed up case progression.
Improving the wording and format of letters is one example of reforms so they no longer mention the defendant's name within the first few lines.
Officials told how some victims found this distressing and at points had been the first time they were learning the identity of their attacker.
There is also a trial taking place on increasing the level of communication with victims. Previously contact was only made when charges were being altered or dropped, and when victims were met at court.
The pilot is testing contacting victims when a decision to charge has been made, in writing or by phone, to discuss the move and answer any questions.
Victim Liaison Officers
Meanwhile 40 victim liaison officers (VLOs) have been hired around the country to act as a single point of contact with the CPS for victims of rape and serious sexual offences, who they can approach from the moment a charging decision is made.
While not legally trained, but requiring an understanding and awareness of the law and good communication skills, the VLOs can advise where victims can get support and offer to arrange pre-trial meetings with prosecutors.
The project is in its "early days" but so far 550 people have been offered meetings and 28 have taken place so far, mostly online.
Victims can choose where the meetings are held and whether these are in person or online.
Mr Parkinson added: "This is just the beginning. We're going to evaluate if this works.
"I'm fairly confident that it will work in terms of improving the confidence of our victims, we're going to get feedback from them.
"So hopefully it will improve confidence, but also hopefully it will also reduce victim attrition."