Ministers vow to give sexual violence victims ‘the justice they deserve’

Lucy Rigby, the solicitor general. ‘It’s vital that we examine the causes of violence against women and girls.’ Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

Ministers have vowed to give victims of sexual violence “the justice they deserve” as figures showed that growing numbers of sentences for such crimes in England and Wales were being referred back to judges as unduly lenient.

According to internal government figures seen by the Guardian, the number of sentences for rape and sexual assault that were increased by the court of appeal after being referred by the public and the attorney general’s office has risen this year.