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Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

Investigation and prosecution of rape

Status: Closed Opened: 21 Apr 2021 Closed: 1 Feb 2024 24 recommendations 12 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 … Show more

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

2 items
13 Recommendation Eighth Report - Investigation and prose… Not Addressed

Police provisions for deaf domestic abuse and sexual violence survivors are inadequate.

In light of the challenges deaf survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence told us they had experienced when engaging with the police, we would also urge the Home Office to undertake work with police forces across England and Wales to understand what provisions are currently in place to enable … Read more

Government response AI summary
The Home Office does not address the specific recommendations regarding provisions for deaf survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Instead, it states that the data is not currently collated centrally and mentions a new blended learning programme for police officers unrelated to the recommendation's …
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Home Office
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 … Read more

Government response AI summary
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 special measures, such as updated …
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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 ↗

Who gave evidence

23 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Amelia Handy · Policy Lead Rape Crisis England and Wales 1
Baroness Stern CBE — 1
Dame Vera Baird QC — 1
David Tucker · Faculty Lead on Crime and Criminal Justice College of Policing 1
Derek Sweeting QC · Chair The Bar Council 1
Donna Jones — 1
Dr Olivia Smith · Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Social Policy Loughborough University 1
Duncan Craig OBE · Chief Executive Officer Survivors Manchester 1
Ellie Ball · ISVA Manager, Independent Sexual Violence Advocac… Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre 1
Ellie Cumbo · Head of Public Law The Law Society 1
Emily Hunt — 1
Jaee Samant · Director General, Public Safety Group Home Office 1
Jerome Glass · Director General, Policy and Strategy Group Ministry of Justice 1
Kirsty Brimelow QC · Vice-Chair The Criminal Bar Association 1
Max Hill QC · Director of Public Prosecutions Crown Prosecution Service 1
Professor Betsy Stanko OBE · Academic lead Project Bluestone 1
Professor Cheryl Thomas · Professor of Judicial Studies, Faculty of Laws UCL 1
Professor Penney Lewis · Criminal Law Commissioner The Law Commission 1
Rachel Maclean · Minister for Safeguarding Home Office 1
Rosie Lewis · Head of Policy Imkaan 1
Rt Hon Lady Dorrian — 1
Rt Hon Sir John Gillen — 1
Sarah Crew — 1

Correspondence

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