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Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

Investigation and prosecution of rape

Status: Closed Opened: 21 Apr 2021 Closed: 1 Feb 2024 23 recommendations 13 conclusions 1 report

As part of the Committee’s overarching work into violence against women and girls, the Committee wishes to explore the key question of why rape prosecutions are falling. Read the terms of reference for more detail about this work. The Committee is keen to understand from victims and survivors of rape and serious sexual assault what …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Eighth Report - Investigation and prosecution of rape HC 193 12 Apr 2022 36 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
34 Recommendation Eighth Report - Investigation and prose… Not Addressed

Consult judiciary and legal sector on widening private evidence use as a special measure.

We recommend that the Government consult with the judiciary and wider legal sector on evidence given in private as a special measure. Any such consultation should examine its use, given HMICFRS and HMCPSI have found that it can be underused, and explore whether its use could be further widened, with …

Government response. The government did not commit to the requested consultation on widening the use of evidence given in private as a special measure for rape complainants, nor did it address considering approaches in other jurisdictions. Instead, it highlighted general improvements to …
Home Office

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
15 Dec 2021 Jaee Samant · Home Office, Jerome Glass · Ministry of Justice, Rachel Maclean · Home Office View ↗
13 Dec 2021 Max Hill QC · Crown Prosecution Service View ↗
1 Dec 2021 Derek Sweeting QC · The Bar Council, Ellie Cumbo · The Law Society, Kirsty Brimelow QC · The Criminal Bar Association, Professor Penney Lewis · The Law Commission View ↗
20 Oct 2021 Baroness Stern CBE, David Tucker · College of Policing, Donna Jones, Rt Hon Lady Dorrian, Rt Hon Sir John Gillen, Sarah Crew View ↗
7 Jul 2021 Dr Olivia Smith · Loughborough University, Professor Betsy Stanko OBE · Project Bluestone, Professor Cheryl Thomas · UCL View ↗
23 Jun 2021 Amelia Handy · Rape Crisis England and Wales, Dame Vera Baird QC, Duncan Craig OBE · Survivors Manchester, Ellie Ball · Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, Emily Hunt, Rosie Lewis · Imkaan View ↗

Correspondence

10 letters
DateDirectionTitle
7 Sep 2022 From cttee Letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the Victims’ Right to Review …
7 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from Minister for Safeguarding on Government consultation on police requ…
7 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from the Director of Public Prosecutions on the Victims’ Right to Revie…
7 Sep 2022 From cttee Letter to Minister for Safeguarding on Government consultation on police reque…
7 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from the Home Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister on the government…
7 Sep 2022 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister on the government r…
22 Jun 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister of State for Justice on improving the criminal justice…
18 May 2022 To cttee Letter from the Home Secretary on the investigation and prosecution of rape, da…
18 May 2022 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on the investigation and prosecution of rape, date…
9 Feb 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Safeguarding following her appearance before the C…