Select committee: Home Affairs Committee
Conclusion 24
Eighth Report - Investigation and prosecution of rape
Published 12 Apr 2022
Paragraph 137
Addressed to Home Office
Home Affairs Committee Investigation and prosecution of rape All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We have heard from victims and survivors that the CPS’s level and quality of communication could be more effective and sensitive. We welcome the fact that the CPS has designed new letters to engage better with victims at key moments. However, as part of the CPS’s work designing a new approach to victim engagement that should be more two-way, we would also recommend that the CPS consider speaking with complainants via a video link as more general practice, to give people the opportunity to ask questions about their individual case. This would be less impersonal. Any concerns prosecutors might have should be taken into account.
From: Home Affairs Committee, Eighth Report - Investigation and prosecution of rape (HC 193), paragraph 137, 12 April 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 25 July 2022 (deadline 12 June 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response to the Committee's report says it has made "important progress" under its Rape Review Action Plan, and it agrees with some recommendations while stating that others are for Chief Constables, the judiciary or ongoing work to determine.
- On governance, it "welcome[s] and agree[s]" with the recommendation to write to the Committee every six months, in line with the cycle of Rape Review Progress Update publications.
- On specialist police rape teams, it "agrees that specialism is crucial" but says Chief Constables "remain best placed to make decisions about the local deployment of resources".
- On a sexual violence commissioner, it recognises "there may be benefits", says the Home Office and Ministry of Justice are considering the recommendation, and will "update the Committee on progress in due course".
- On Operation Soteria, it commits £5m this year, with a national operating model for rape investigation "by June 2023", though adoption "will be a decision for operationally independent forces".