By Sharon Smee, Justice Policy Officer for The Fawcett Society
Investigation of rape should be made a real priority by police and prosecutors. Specific training should be introduced which is aimed at frontline staff to change attitudes towards rape, and to improve initial responses to women reporting and early evidence collection. Priorities and targets for local forces on tackling sexual violence should also be introduced.
The Fawcett’s Society’s ‘Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice System’ examines the experiences of women within the criminal justice system including female victims of crime. Since the inception of the Commission in 2003, there have been some important developments within the police such as the appointment of a Rape Champion within every force and the introduction of specialist rape investigators. However, frontline staff continue to doubt the credibility of rape victims and society continues to ‘judge’ the victim rather than the perpetrator. Rape conviction rates also vary dramatically between police force areas, which shows a lack of national leadership and inconsistency in approaches to the investigation of rape.
The statistics paint a picture of a criminal justice system which is seriously failing women. Only 6.5 per cent of rape cases which are reported to the police lead to a conviction in England and Wales compared to 33 per cent in 1977. Rape continues to be a crime which is not treated with the professionalism or vigour devoted to other crimes. Men reported to the police for rape are frequently not investigated and their crimes do not appear in police records – even though some have previous records of violent offences and sexual attacks on women.
Women who are victims of rape and sexual violence need to have confidence in the justice system to provide them with support, safety and justice. A high rape conviction rate is important because it may deter perpetrators and encourage victims to have confidence in the justice system. However, it is also important for victims to be provided with support such as rape crisis centres in every area throughout the UK and a national government-funded helpline.
The final report of Fawcett’s commission is due for release in May and will make a number of key recommendations aimed at creating a criminal justice system which is fair for women.
The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading campaign for equality between men and women.
(Picture from chrisjohnbeckett)
