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The Independent UK

National

Maya Oppenheim

More trauma for rape victims as court backlog doubles in two years due to lawyer shortage

Harriet Wistrich James Rossiter the Ministry of Justice Suicide the Criminal Bar Association

Getty/iStock

Court backlogs for rape prosecutions have soared to a record high, with the number of cases doubling in two years and victims facing “devastating” waits for justice.

Data from the Ministry of Justice shows 1,379 adult rape cases were stuck in the court backlog in the last quarter of 2021 but the number surged to 2,786 in the last quarter of 2023.

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