LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced on Monday that specialist courts for rape and serious sex offences will be rolled out across England and Wales.
Backed by a multi-million cash injection, every Crown Court in England and Wales will get at least one courtroom especially set up to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years, helping to hold more perpetrators to account.
The changes are designed to encourage more victims to come forward, providing them with private entrances and waiting rooms as well as facilities equipped to pre-record evidence and observe sentencing remotely.
Rape and serious sexual offence cases will also now be prioritised in courts. These trials will be given a fixed date as opposed to being placed on floating lists where they can be moved at short notice and delayed by many months.
For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt they were navigating a system that did not consider their needs for tailored support. In 2025, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the Crown Court, with too many victims withdrawing before their case was heard.
Today's changes will mean victims get better support and face fewer delays, as the government continues to take decisive action to tackle violence against women and girls and deliver the justice that victims deserve.
Announcing this, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said, 'For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system. Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice'.
He added, 'This is not good enough. That's why we are making major changes to rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first. This includes rolling out specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sex offences. These changes are long overdue and will make a significant difference, but focusing on prosecution alone will not be enough. So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place'.
The changes announced today will also see all court staff get trauma-informed training and a trial to give victims of sex offences a single point of contact to ensure their needs are met during the court process. The new measures also include a new Rape Justice Taskforce, drawing leaders from across the criminal justice system to tackle the rising rate of postponed rape trials and confront the myths that cause victims to withdraw from their own cases.
The changes follow Charlotte Nichols showing immense strength and bravery in coming forward to tell her own story, calling for these crucial measures to support victims and ensure they receive the justice they deserve.
Earlier this month, Burnham announced that by the end of 2027, all police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams, helping to make sure more criminal cases are prosecuted.
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