‘Justice should never come at such a cost’: Court delays leaving victims struggling and suicidal, report finds

Almost half of victims had their trial date pushed back at least once, a report found - (Getty)

Record court backlogs are leaving victims unable to work or turning to drugs, alcohol and self-harm as they wait years for cases to reach trial, the Victims’ Commissioner has warned.

A report into the impact of soaring crown court delays has revealed the devastating toll of repeated trial postponements on victims’ mental health, everyday lives and finances.