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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to encourage sex offence victims to (a) report their abuse and (b) act as a witness in court. [196644] Paul Goggins: The Government have implemented a range of measures with a view to encouraging sex offence victims to report abuse and to act as a witness in court. In 2002, the Government published their Rape Action Plan including steps to improve the investigation and prosecution of rape cases and the treatment of victims and witnesses. The intention is that these measures will help to bring more cases to justice, increase public confidence and consequently encourage victims to report their abuse. Key elements of the RAP include: specialist training of Sexual Offence Liaison Officers and Rape Victim Chaperones. Specialist rape prosecutors, and rape co-ordinators in each of the 42 CPS areas. Guidance on special measures such as allowing victims to give their evidence from behind a screen, or on video, helping to sustain cases which would otherwise stand no chance of getting to court, and encourage victims to act as witnesses. An important recommendation from the Rape Action Plan is that forces support the development of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs)--integrated services where victims of rape and sexual assault can have their various medical, forensic, counselling and support needs met quickly and sympathetically, in one location, by properly trained staff. A recent evaluation of SARCs (Home Office Research Study 285: Lovett, J., Regan, L. and Kelly, L. (2004),) reported high levels of victim satisfaction. While victims may use the services of a SARC without reporting to the police, they are encouraged to do so, and if they do not wish to report immediately, they are still able to undergo a forensic examination in case they decide to report at a later date. There are now 13 SARCs across England, with more under development. Over this and the next financial year, a proportion of the £4 million set aside from the Victims Fund for services to victims of sexual offending will help to extend and strengthen the SARCs network. Work is also underway to raise awareness about SARCs. If people who have been raped are confident that they will be treated with respect and dignity, they may be more likely to report to the police. The remainder of the £4 million will be used to develop voluntary and community sector based services for victims of sexual offending. The services will be available regardless of whether a victim chooses to report the offence or testify in court but we hope more victims of sexual crime will have the confidence to report the offences and that more victims can be supported as their cases go through the criminal justice process. Vulnerable or intimidated witnesses (VIWs) are being encouraged to testify by the range of special measures available to them under the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. Home Office Research Study 283, "Are special measures working? Evidence from surveys of vulnerable and intimidated witnesses" (Home Office, June 2004) shows that: Around half of witnesses who did not have the opportunity to give evidence with the aid of special measures said that they would have found special measures helpful. Witnesses who used special measures were significantly more confident that the criminal justice system was effective in bringing those who commit crimes to justice and effective in meeting the needs of victims. 44 per cent. of victims of sexual offences said they would not have given evidence without special measures. Additional steps have been taken to ensure that victims and witnesses, more generally, are willing to give evidence in court. In 2003, the National Criminal Justice Board asked each Local Criminal Justice Board to undertake work to increase public confidence in the Criminal Justice System--one of the key issues being victim and witness satisfaction. This work continues and on Monday 18 October the Office of Criminal Justice Reform published the Victim and Witness Delivery Plan "Improving Services for Victims and Witnesses", setting out the Government's seven priorities for victims and witnesses. Local Criminal Justice Boards are also delivering the Criminal Case Management Programme which will ensure that charges are more appropriately brought, that trials are more effectively managed and that witnesses and victims receive proper care and information. Increased public confidence and better criminal case management will encourage more victims and witnesses to come forward and give evidence in court.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

196644; 426 c1140-1W;426 c1144-5W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Criminal proceedings Courts Finance Evidence Rape Sexual offences Witnesses Victims Sexual assault referral centres

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk