A significant step forward for rape justice.
NCW welcomes the Government’s decision to introduce dedicated rape courtrooms across England and Wales, with priority listing and fixed hearing dates to reduce delays and last-minute cancellations, alongside additional training for court staff.
Backed by a multi-million cash injection, every Crown Court in England and Wales will get at least one courtroom especially set up to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years, helping to hold more perpetrators to account.
The changes are designed to encourage more victims to come forward, providing them with private entrances and waiting rooms as well as facilities equipped to pre-record evidence and observe sentencing remotely.
These were measures we called for in our 2024 VAWG Resolution and 2025 letter to the Justice Secretary.
https://ncwgb.org/resolutions/resolution-on-violence-against-women-and-girls-vawg/
We are also pleased to see a new Rape Justice Taskforce established to tackle the rising rate of postponed rape trials and confront the myths that cause victims to withdraw from their own cases.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/specialist-rape-courts-rolled-out-across-the-country