New minimum standards for the support of rape and sexual violence victims have today (Friday 18 June) been published by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Foreword by Max Hill QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, and Siobhan Blake, CPS lead for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences prosecutions

This National Framework is for use by the police and CPS across England and Wales. The framework outlines minimum standards on liaising and communicating with Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) and local services supporting victims who work within the criminal justice system context. The framework outlines 11 components under the following three standards: 1. Multi-Agency Partnership Working 2. Effective Processes 3. Supporting victims

This Q3 data release covers the 3-month period 1 October to 31 December 2020, with the previous three quarters provided to illustrate trends. The impact of the first national lockdown on the Criminal Justice System in 2020 continues to be reflected in the Q3 20/21 data. Nationally there are significantly more cases in the court system then in February 2020.

Today, Monday 15 March, Lord Burnett dismissed the application for Judicial Review from the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition against the CPS.

On 26 and 27 January, the Court of Appeal heard a judicial review launched by the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition against the CPS. Their case was that a change to CPS rape and serious sexual offences guidance amounted to an illegal change of approach to prosecuting rapes, which has contributed to falling levels of these cases.

As part of a collective effort across the criminal justice system to tackle the discrepancy between rape and sexual offence cases being reported and taken to court, senior police officers and legal managers across the country are now working closer and communicating more regularly. In the West Midlands, this has contributed to a 33% rise in charges for rape and serious sexual offences.

Efforts to reduce the disparity between the number of rape and serious sexual offence (RASSO) cases being reported and those going to court have taken a step forward, as a blueprint to drive even closer working between police and prosecutors has been published today.

This plan, which complements work already underway as part of the Joint Operational Improvement Board (JOIB), sets out how the police and the CPS will work together to improve our joint response to RASSO over the next three years.