Criminals Escaping Justice as Victims Drop Court Cases Over Delays

CRIMINALS are escaping justice as victims drop court cases over delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Many victims are walking away from court cases due to delays and a watchdog has warned that rapists and other serious criminals are going free.

Victims’ commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird has explained to MPs how victims of crime are now being “re-victimised”, as the Coronavirus pandemic causes longer and longer waits for hearings.

She explained how some victims had even turned up at court to then be turned away as the case was moved to a different date. She said, “We will lose some [from the prosecution process] because they will not want to go through the coming and going from court or simply can’t take a trial date which may be, in some areas, as late as 2022,

“The consequences are a loss of confidence in the criminal justice system. People who are guilty are not being convicted and people are not getting justice.”

She also went on to explain how victims are less likely to be supported fully as services are stretched in the areas of Victim Support and police witness care units. Independent sexual violence and domestic abuse advisers are also being stretched in the amount of support that they are able to provide.

She added that, “The most serious victims of crime are the main victims of the very considerable delays in the criminal justice system now,”

“Particularly someone who has had a traumatic experience like a serious assault or sexual abuse, they live with it when they know they’ve got to go through it all again to testify in court. They can’t leave that behind and move on with their lives. They are being re-victimised by extended delays.”

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