FEWER than 40 people were convicted of rape in Merseyside last year as almost 1,500 new offences were recorded by police, new figures show, suggesting victims are rarely seeing justice done.

The Government announced a new pilot court scheme last week in a bid to increase low prosecution and conviction rates across England and Wales.

The initiative means prosecutors, police officers and other staff at pilot courts in Newcastle, Leeds and Snaresbrook in London will receive specialist trauma training, with any conclusions learned rolled out across the country to increase the volume and speed of rape cases going through the system.

Rape Crisis said the courts are a step in the right direction to arrest "appalling prosecution rates" but that more information is needed on how they will work.

What the figures show

Ministry of Justice figures show 44 rape cases were heard in court in 2021 following investigations by Merseyside Police, with 32 resulting in convictions – up from 13 in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic.

But 1,436 alleged rapes were recorded by the force last year, separate Home Office data outlines, meaning only a fraction are likely to lead to a conviction.

Across England and Wales, there were 895 rape convictions – compared to 67,125 new cases.

Pilot courts

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the pilot courts, which are due to be operational in October, "will focus on improving support for victims, tackling the backlog and reducing delays".

"We’re also rolling out pre-recorded evidence faster, recruiting 1,000 sexual violence advisors, developing a 24/7 helpline and improving collaboration between police and prosecutors to ensure victims get the justice they deserve," added Mr Raab.

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But Jayne Butler, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said enough is not known about how the specialist courts will work and insisted a "proper consultation with specialist sexual violence support services" is needed.

Ms Butler also highlighted how low prosecution rates have "effectively decriminalised" rape and discouraged victims from coming forward and reporting crimes.

What the figures show for Merseyside

In Merseyside, just 1.3 per cent of the 1,183 rape investigations concluded by police last year led to a charge or summons.

Some 23 per cent of cases were dropped due to evidential difficulties, despite the support of the victim and the suspect being identified, while a further 64% were dropped because the victim did not support further action.

No suspect was identified in 7 per cent of cases.

Across England and Wales, just 2 per cent of 42,203 concluded investigations led to a prosecution.

Ms Butler said: "The vast majority of victims and survivors seeking criminal justice are being hugely let down by the system."

Merseyside Police's response

Detective Superintendent Steve Reardon, from the force's Protecting Vulnerable People Unit, said: “Rape is an unimaginably awful crime that has a long and devastating impact on victims. It can leave psychological scars that last a lifetime, and Merseyside Police is committed to not only fully supporting victims, but to preventing any further offences from happening.
 
“Since 2010, we have had a specialist Unity Team which is dedicated to investigating and supporting victims through the whole criminal justice process, from reporting the incident to seeing a case through the courts. The specialist officers at Unity are able to ensure all crucial evidence can be presented to the court, maximising the chance of conviction.
 
“All the officers in the team are trained to deal professionally and sensitively with rape victims and the harrowing ordeals that they have suffered, and have extensive experience.
 
“As well as specialist police officers, the team also includes lawyers, specially trained officers (STOs) and detectives, and Unity works in partnership with independent sexual violence advisors (ISVAs), sexual assault referral centre crisis workers (SARC), and health professionals to provide the best possible service to victims.
 
Det Supt Reardon added: “We want to improve the number of offenders prosecuted and we will continue to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and the agencies who support victims of rape to achieve this.
 
“Sadly, we know that rapes and sexual assaults can be under reported, and that there are more victims out there than we currently know about. We need to keep looking at ways to encourage more reporting of what is still a hidden crime, and to encourage victims to stay with the process.
 
"I want to reassure anyone who has suffered this terrible ordeal that is they speak out and report incidents to us, they will be listened to, they will be believed and we will do everything we can to investigate their report so that offenders can be brought to justice.”

How to report an offence and get support

Anyone who wants to report a sexual offence allegation is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers, or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 
 
Support for victims is also available through the registered charity the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre, who are available on 0151 558 1801 in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral and the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside, who cover St Helens and Knowsley and can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.
 
For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces the Home Office has set up a pilot service https://www.police.uk/pu/notices/streetsafe/street-safe/ for anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, e.g. street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, e.g. being followed or verbally abused. Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.