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Notices and Press Releases

Fawcett : Government failing victims of rape - New campaign launched for justice for rape victims

Leading campaigning organisation the Fawcett Society has today launched a campaign for justice for rape victims, calling on the Government to invest in services for rape victims and to take immediate steps to improve the rape conviction rate.

Every 34 minutes a rape is reported to the police in the United Kingdom(*). Thousands more victims do not come forward. Yet services for victims of rape are in crisis, and only one in twenty reported rapes leads to a conviction.

Crisis in services for rape victims

Less than one in four local authority areas have any services for victims of rape. Even where there are rape crisis centres, they often have waiting lists of several months, and it is estimated that up to half of rape crisis centres are at risk of closing due to a lack of funding.

There is also no 24-hour rape helpline for women to phone for support or to find out what services there are in their area, even though the Government promised to introduce one ‘as quickly as possible’ in July 2003.

Criminal justice failure

The criminal justice system is failing victims of rape. Only one out of every twenty (5.7%) rapes reported to the police results in a conviction, with less than one in five rapes even leading to a prosecution and only 14% making it as far as court.

The Fawcett Society is calling on the Government to give this issue the political priority it deserves. Money must be invested in support services without delay, so that every area has a fully-funded rape crisis centre. Immediate steps must also be taken to ensure that real improvements are made in criminal justice practice, so that every case is properly investigated.

Commenting on the campaign, Dr Katherine Rake, Director of the Fawcett Society, said:

“The Government’s record on rape is shameful, and this issue must now be given the priority that it deserves. Allowing rape crisis centres to close due to inadequate funding is a major failing by the Government. Women who have been raped have no support to turn to in their community, at a time when they may need it most. A conviction rate in rape cases of just 5.7% is simply not good enough. Wholesale reform is needed to give women confidence in the system and to deliver justice to victims of rape. The campaign that we are launching today calls on the Government to put rape at the top of their agenda. Action is needed now to ensure that rapists are caught and convicted and to properly fund the services that victims of rape want and need."

(*) During 2005-06, 14,449 rapes were reported to the police in England and Wales, 975 rapes were reported to the police in Scotland, and 356 rapes were reported to the police in Northern Ireland. This is a total of 15,780 - one every 34 minutes.