Criminal cases that the Crown Prosecution Service take to court are in the news every day. This section also covers many issues related to our work, including violence against women and girls, hate crime, support for victims and witnesses, statistics, and speeches by the Director of Public Prosecutions and other senior staff.
Latest news
You can find our latest news stories here and search for older stories. You can also find more information about high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.
Working with the media
To make criminal court reporting more open, the CPS, police, and media representatives created a joint protocol (agreement) for working together. We are currently working on an updated version of the protocol.
The Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute a further 24 people for showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action.The total number of charged cases for showing support for Palestine Action since the group’s proscription in July 2025 is 138.The CPS, Metropolitan Police Service…
An ex-warehouse employee who posed as a teenage boy online to groom and sexually abuse three young girls has been jailed.Ruhel Miah, 48, pleaded guilty to 15 counts related to child sexual abuse, inciting a child into sexual activity and sexual communication with a child and was sentenced to 10…
A police officer has admitted trying to blackmail a man by demanding money to prevent information about his arrest for allegedly possessing indecent images of children being publicised.PC Marie Thompson, 29, of South Yorkshire Police, was the officer in charge of an investigation into a man…
Two men have been jailed for conspiring to facilitate the illegal immigration of migrants – including eight children - into the UK who were hidden in the back of a lorry.Daniel Loughran, 34, and Eoin Nolan, 51, were found guilty in February following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court of conspiring…
A man who sexually assaulted and harassed a 14-year-old girl in Epping has been convicted.Hadush Kebatu, 41, also sexually assaulted an adult woman – with his actions taking place over a two-day period earlier this year.The offences were charged swiftly by the CPS’ out-of-hours division and a…
Six people have been charged with terrorism offences in relation to arranging public demonstrations of support for Palestine Action and hosting and managing online meetings in support of the proscribed group. The offences relate to public gatherings in support of Palestine Action held in…
The designer of a fake luxury clothes scam has been ordered to pay back £90,503,211 or face more time in prison. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) secured a Confiscation Order against Arif Patel, 57, at Chester Crown Court on 28 August 2025.Clothing manufacturer Arif Patel, of Preston, and…
Hannah von Dadelszen, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said:“The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the prosecution of 11 individuals for seven offences relating to bribery, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent trading, cheating the public revenue, evasion of income tax,…
Press ReleaseFraud and economic crimeInternational and organised crimeCPS
A transgender woman who failed to disclose her gender status to a male sexual partner has been found guilty of sexual assault today at Teesside Crown Court.Ciara Watkin, 21, of Walton Street, Stockton-on-Tees, was found guilty of multiple charges relating to sexual acts that she performed on the 21…
A man has been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for grooming and raping a schoolgirl in Rotherham 20 years ago.The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit prosecuted Paul Richardson, 63, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) under…
Press ReleaseSexual offencesCPS
Press Office contact details
Please note that our Press Office is NOT able to deal with issues or queries from members of the public - these contact details are for accredited journalists ONLY. Do not call this number unless you a member of the press. For all general enquiries, please visit contact.cps.gov.uk.
If you are a national or international journalist with a media enquiry, you can contact the CPS Press Office on 020 3357 0906 or email [email protected] (9am-5pm weekdays only).
For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.
If you follow us on social media, you can expect posts covering some or all of the following:
Operational updates on decisions to prosecute or take no further action;
Reactions and statements on trial outcomes;
Policy updates from the Director of Public Prosecutions and other prosecutors;
Updates on media appearances by CPS staff
Content that explains the role of the CPS and how we work
Highlighting of relevant work by our criminal justice partners and other stakeholders
We will aim to be fair and accurate in all the information we publish. We will aim to correct any inaccuracies as soon as possible.
We are unable to monitor social media round the clock. We are not able to engage with all those who seek a response from us due to resources but also due to privacy and the sensitive nature of some of our work. The best way to contact the CPS is through our website.
Please do not try to report crime using social media. To report crime, please call 101 or visit your local police station. In an emergency, always call 999.
If you follow us on social media we will not automatically follow you back. Being followed by us does not imply endorsement of any kind.
Media protocol
To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together. We are currently in the process of updating the protocol.
