Dominic Raab

The Number of rape and sexual assault victims who have waited More Than a year for their trial to go through the courts has soared, a report shows.

The Number of such cases rose from 246 to 1,316 - a 435% Rise - Between March 2020 and June this year, figures in a National Audit Office report showed.

The spending watchdog said the Crown Court backlog could remain a problem for years, severely affecting victims.

The government said the backlog in England and Wales was stabilising.

In a neither the Ministry of Justice nor its courts agency were Working Together properly to solve the problems which had their roots in pre-pandemic cuts.

Last week Justice Secretary Dominic Raab told The Bbc

As of June, it was at a record high of nearly 61,000 cases. The NAO is warning there could still be significant delays in 2024.

The Report says That keeping rape and sexual assault victims, witnesses and defendants waiting for More Than a year for their cases to be heard puts them At Risk of collapse if people withdraw their support.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said prosecutions for rape and sexual violence were " going wrong" and he would " stop at nothing to get more rapists behind bars".

His comments came after the jailing of Wayne Couzens for Sarah Everard's kidnap, rape and murder raised questions about women's trust in The Police and the Criminal Justice system.

Waiting times rose most in London, with the average Age Of a case increasing by 63% from 164 days to 266 days, The Report said.

Head of the NAO Gareth Davies said: " Despite efforts to increase capacity in criminal courts, it looks likely That the backlog will remain a problem for many years.

" The impact on victims, witnesses and defendants is severe and it is vital That the Ministry of Justice works effectively with its partners in the Criminal Justice system to minimise the delays to justice. "

Crown Court capacity was increased by 30% Between September 2020 and July 2021 by opening temporary Nightingale courts and modifying existing buildings.

And another Nightingale court is to open at a hotel in Warwick, taking the total in England and Wales to 23.

But the long-term recovery plan relies on funding from the Treasury, said The Report , with the Ministry of Justice estimating it needs about £500m more for criminal courts and an extra £1. 7bn for legal aid, prisons and probation services.

The Bar Council, which represents barristers, said the findings were alarming and showed Criminal Justice was " at breaking point".

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said The Report recognised the speed of the government's response to Covid.

" This meant That - in a matter of months - our buildings were made safe, remote technology was rolled out across all courts, and Nightingale courtrooms opened up and down the country to increase the space available for trials, " He Said .

" We Are already seeing the results, with outstanding cases in the magistrates' courts falling, and in the Crown Court the backlog stabilising. "

Source of news: bbc.com