New data reveals that rising numbers of victims of crime are failing to press charges as they feel “let down” by the police and the courts.
Ministers are being urged to introduce new legislation as part of a longstanding promise to give crime victims enforceable rights about how they are treated by the courts and police.
Dame Vera Baird QC, the Victims’ Commissioner, and the independent charity Victim Support say victims find it hard to get help in dealing with the mental and financial effects of crime, and they often feel forgotten.
Figures showed that 23% of cases were dropped because the victim did not support further action – a dramatic increase on the 8.7% recorded in 2015.
In a conversation with The Observer, Dame Baird said: “Almost half of people who have been to court [as a witness or victim] wouldn’t go near it again.
“The criminal justice system can’t afford that flight from support to continue, or it will find itself confounded in its attempt to do justice.”
She added that individual police officers, court staff, or probation officers might show great kindness to victims, the victims often get little support in dealing with the justice system’s complexities.
Dame Baird went on to explain that even finding out when an offender is due in court can be hit or miss, and victims can wait at court for hours only to be turned away due to a backlog of cases.
In one case a young man who had been raped spent hours at court to find the case was put back for seven months. “It was nobody’s fault, but this young man, raging with fear, was brought in, sent back, and all because nobody has a role to directly take responsibility for him,” she said.
Crown court cases take an average of 525 days to complete, however when cases do finally reach the courts, victims and witnesses can be discouraged by the idea of facing the defendant and their supporters in the court building.
Solicitor Ayesha Nayyar said the public would be “horrified” if they knew how victims were treated.
Nayyar is co-presenting the BBC series Crime: Are We Tough Enough? and is the Law Society’s Sole Practitioner of the Year. One episode features the family of Yousef Makki, a 17-year-old who was stabbed to death.
“During the trial, they shared the corridors and the waiting area with the defendants’ families. They had to sit among them. We’ve got to think, how are we treating the victims of crime?”, said Nayyar.
Chief Executive of Victim Support, Diana Fawcett, said the government needs to take urgent action to make the courts fit for purpose. “Long waits for trial cause stress and anxiety among victims, and can undermine public confidence in justice,” she said. “Courts must have separate facilities for victims and defendants, such as entrances and waiting areas.”
Fawcett went on to say that there is “a lottery” of support for victims. “A victims’ law must ensure that victims’ rights, such as to information, making a personal statement, and accessing independent support services, are legally enforceable.”
A spokeswoman from the Ministry of Justice said: “This government is committed to strengthening the rights of victims, with a new victims’ law to be consulted on early this year.
“A new victims’ code will set out the level of service that victims can expect from the criminal justice system, making sure they have access to the best possible support when they need it.”
