When rape cases don’t make it to trial | podcast
Recorded rapes have increased by 15%, but recent figures show only one-third of cases referred to the CPS led to charges being brought. ‘Rebecca’ discusses her experience, while the Guardian’s Alexandra Topping looks at why prosecution rates have dropped. Plus: Julia Finch on Mark Carney’s warning that global banks cannot afford to ignore climate change
Warning: this episode contains upsetting and explicit descriptions of sexual violence.
When Rebecca (not her real name) was allegedly raped by a man she had been dating, she was told by the police she had a strong case. But months later, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped it and she was left devastated. Rape complaints are on the rise – up by 15% – but the prosecution rate in England and Wales has fallen to a five-year low. Figures show that more than a third of the rape cases referred to the CPS between April and September 2018 resulted in charges being brought, compared with 62% in 2013-2014.