Victims of rape and sexual assault or violence will be spared the stress of being cross examined in court, under a new scheme.
Ten more courts, including nine in the North West, will now allow victims and witnesses of crimes such as rape and modern slavery to have their cross-examination video-recorded and played later during trial. This is subject to a successful application to the court.
The measure, which is already in place in 37 Crown Courts including Liverpool, sees the recording takes place as close to the time of the offence as possible, while memories remain fresh, and helps victims avoid the stress of giving evidence in a courtroom setting, which many find traumatic.
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From Wednesday, June 29, the measure will be available in Bolton, Burnley, Preston, Carlisle, Lancaster, Warrington, Chester, Manchester Crown Square, Manchester Minshull Street and Swindon Crown Court. The extension means it is now available for victims of rape at 47 Crown Courts, over half of all locations in England and Wales.
The Government is committed to rolling it out nationwide by September. The move follows the successful implementation for vulnerable victims, such as children or those who have limited mental capacity, across the country – with more than 2,500 witnesses having already benefitted from the technology since August 2020.
Victoria Atkins MP, Minister for Tackling Violence against Women and Girls, said: "We are overhauling the justice system’s response to rape and this measure is key - minimising the stress and trauma faced by victims so they can provide the best possible evidence. It adds to the many other steps we are taking, such as recruiting more independent sexual violence advisors, delivering a new Victims’ Bill and improving collaboration between police and prosecutors.
“While there is still much more to do, we are starting to see the results of these efforts with rape convictions increasing by 15 percent over the last quarter, and by more than a quarter since before the pandemic.”
The measure is also designed to maintain a defendant’s right to a fair trial and any decision to pre-record evidence is made by a judge on a case-by-case basis. The extension of pre-recorded evidence is a key pledge within the Government’s Rape Review Action Plan.
The plan sets out clear actions for the police, prosecutors and courts. These include a new approach to investigations, reducing the number of victims withdrawing from the process, increasing the volume of trials being heard, protecting the public and putting more rapists behind bars.
The announcement builds on recent government action to make streets safer and increase confidence in the justice system, including the publication of a draft Victims’ Bill. The legislation seeks to amplify victims’ voices, and places greater accountability on agencies such as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and police for the service they provide to them.
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