CPS News Centre

Criminal cases prosecuted by the CPS are in the news every day, along with a range of issues relating to our work – from violence against women and girls and hate crime, to support for victims and witnesses, statistics and speeches.

To ensure greater openness in the reporting of criminal proceedings, the CPS, the police and media representatives developed a joint protocol for working together.

Here you can find our latest news stories and search for others. You can also find additional details about a number of high-profile cases and the work of the CPS.

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Media enquiries

National, international and specialist media should contact the main 24-hour press office.

Local media should contact their Area Communications Manager during normal working hours.

No stone left unturned to transform rape case handling says Director of Public Prosecutions

‘Leaving no stone unturned’ to transform the way rape prosecutions are handled is key to helping more victims see justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions has said today.

22 February 2022 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

UPSKIRTING: Public urged to report offenders as prosecutions double

Upskirting prosecutions more than doubled over the second year of the legislation being in force, with CPS analysis finding at least a third of offenders are also committing other serious sexual crimes.

03 December 2021 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

Speech by Max Hill QC to the National Criminal Justice Conference

Good afternoon, everyone. I am pleased to be here with you today, and it is a pleasure to follow the Chief Magistrate – supporting vulnerable victims and witnesses is a priority for all of us, and it was invaluable to hear his insight.

01 December 2021 | Speech , Sexual offences , CPS News

New minimum standards for rape and sexual assault victim support

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).

17 June 2021 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

CPS statement on the judgment in the judicial review of the prosecution of rape and serious sexual offences

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.

15 March 2021 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

Max Hill QC, DPP, on the the judgment in the judicial review of the prosecution of rape and serious sexual offences

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

15 March 2021 | CPS says , Sexual offences , CPS News

Closer working between CPS and police helping to increase charges of rape and serious sexual offences in the West Midlands

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.

26 February 2021 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS, West Midlands News

CPS and police collaboration to drive up performance on 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.

22 January 2021 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

Significant programme of work continues at CPS to narrow the gap between reported rapes and cases which reach court

PROGRESS is being made on a major programme of work to narrow the gap between reported rapes and those which reach court.

21 January 2021 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

Specialist prosecutors work to overcome cultural barriers associated with rape and serious sexual offences

REMOVING cultural barriers that may prevent people from ethnic minorities in pursuing a rape or serious sexual offence (RASSO) prosecution is the focus of an ongoing programme of work at the Crown Prosecution Service.

19 January 2021 | Press Release , Sexual offences , CPS News

Search CPS News

In-depth - a deeper look at high-profile cases and the work of the CPS

'You can trust me, I'm a police officer' couldn't be further from the truth
How 13 women's testimonies secured the fate of serial rapist David Carrick
How a criminal case works
From reporting to appeals - how a criminal case works, end-to-end.
How we make our decisions
How does the CPS make the decision to prosecute - or not?
Our criminal justice partners
We don't just work with the police - here's a look at our many partners within the criminal justice system.
Transforming our service to victims at the CPS
Being a victim of crime can be deeply traumatic, and for those who find themselves in the criminal justice system the process can feel overwhelming, unfamiliar, and incredibly challenging.

Articles and speeches

Read articles and speeches from the CPS on matters of relevance to the Criminal Justice System

Articles and Speeches

CPS Says

The CPS position on major issues in the news, our response to inaccuracies in media reports and our letters to the media.

CPS Says...

Contacts: National media

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 call the General Enquiries line: 020 3357 0899 or 020 3357 0000 (09:00-17:00, Monday-Friday) or 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 cps.pressoffice@cps.gov.uk (9am-5pm weekdays only).

For out-of-hours media enquiries please call 020 3357 0906 to reach the duty press officer.

Contacts: Local media

Cymru/Wales
Richard Paull
Email: richard.paull@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02920 803950

East Midlands
Graham Buchanan
Email: Graham.Buchanan@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 852 3343

East of England
Gillian Andrews
Email: gillian.andrews@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01245 455027

London (North and South)
Wendy Wyeth or Molly Barker
Email: london.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

Mersey-Cheshire
Jackie Rand
Email: jackie.rand@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0151 239 6334

North East
Chris Black
Email: chris.black@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0191 260 4216

North West
Kerry Bell
Email: kerry.bell@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0161 827 4705

South East
Cheryl Pendry
Email: cheryl.pendry@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 01227 655862 / 07876 390054

South West
Gary Cockram
Email: gary.cockram@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0117 930 2968

Thames and Chiltern
Angie Patton
Email: Angie.Patton@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 01189 513625

Wessex
Wessex Communications
Email: wessex.communications@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 02380 673873

West Midlands
Kofo Baptist
Email: kofo.baptist@cps.gov.uk
Telephone: 0203 357 0625

Yorkshire and Humberside
Elizabeth Ogborn
Email: elizabeth.ogborn@cps.gov.uk
Telephones: 0113 290 2839 / 07500 835186

Our social media policy

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.

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