Defendants of colour more likely to be charged than white people, finds CPS study

In response to the findings, the CPS has established an advisory group to oversee further research to establish the factors driving these disparities. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

Black and minority ethnic defendants are significantly more likely to be charged for a comparable offence than white British defendants in England and Wales, a study commissioned by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has found.

The findings, described as “troubling” by the CPS and experts, show that defendants from mixed ethnic backgrounds are most likely to be charged, with 79.1% of the suspects charged, almost 10 percentage points higher than the rate of white British defendants charged.