The backlog of rape and sexual offence cases in the nation’s crown courts is “totally unacceptable”, England’s chief prosecutor has said.
The new Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said tackling the wait for justice is his “highest priority” as he unveiled a new survivor support programme.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Parkinson said he is conscious of the impact of the delays: “I think it’s a huge problem.
“It affects the willingness of victims to support our cases. I’m afraid too often, defendants are taking advantage of the delays and just hoping that something will come up – in particular, that victims will withdraw.
“That’s why I think addressing delay and providing better support for victims are closely related.”
‘I think addressing delay and providing better support for victims are closely related’
The support programme is focused on those pursuing rape and serious sexual offences cases. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has hired 40 new victim liaison officers to be the single point of contact between them and survivors.
The officers will hold pre-trial meetings with survivors in-person or online, and coordinate support for them alongside existing independent sexual violence advisers across the country.
On average adult survivors of rape are waiting 710 days from the point of complaint to proceedings being concluded.
Spending hours sitting with people waiting for their cases to conclude over his 20-year legal career helped Mr Parkinson understand this can be “extremely stressful”.
Many people, he said “just simply cannot get on with their lives while the situation is unresolved”.
The new scheme aims to deliver an “improved” CPS that is more “open and empathetic”. Charlotte Caulton-Scott, the head of the rape and serious sexual offences unit at the organisation, accepts that has not always been the case.
“Our role from its inception is to prosecute offences, but actually over time, through our inspections, through direct feedback from victims, we realised that all our offering in terms of support for victims, hasn’t been good enough.
“I think now, we’ve got this great opportunity to make sure that we’re supporting victims in the best possible way, that we’re communicating empathetically and that we’re making sure that we support victims through what is a long process.
“We haven’t just come up with this idea. We’ve really engaged with victims of sexual abuse to find out what they need.”
Charlotte Caulton-Scott accepts the CPS ‘hasn’t been good enough’ for survivors
When asked if Ms Caulton-Scott accepted criticism that the support has not been good enough for survivors, she told Sky News: “Absolutely. I don’t shy away from that, nor does the CPS. It hasn’t been good enough.
“I’ve had direct feedback in the past saying, this is a faceless organisation. But actually that’s changed considerably.”
Charities supporting survivors welcomed the move in the “right direction” but are sceptical of plans.
Raffy Elliston, a young woman’s independent sexual violence adviser from the charity Solace, told Sky News it is a welcome step but lacks depth.
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‘We’re worried… this step isn’t actually going to put much of a dent in the backlog,’ says Raffy Elliston
Ms Elliston said: “One of things we’re worried about is that there’s such a big backlog and, while, it’s helpful to have meetings with a point of contact – this step isn’t actually going to put much of a dent in the backlog.
“It feels maybe more often plaster over a much bigger wound. It’s good to have clarity over what’s going on, maybe why your case has been adjourned for a year.
“But what they really need is a colossal step to have specialist courts, more judges, more counsel. They need to ban adjournments, last minute adjournments that are so harmful to the people in this process, that’s the step they need to take, not just meetings with points of contact.”
The Criminal Bar Association says the backlog of criminal cases will reach 80,000 by March 2025.
The suspended surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge has been named as paediatric consultant Kuldeep Stohr.
Eight hundred patients operated on by Ms Stohr are having their cases urgently re-examined, after an external review found nine children whose care fell below expected standards.
The initial review was ordered after concerns were raised by her colleagues.
Sky News has seen a copy of the interim report which details several issues relating to complex hip surgeries performed by the surgeon.
One of the parents whose child was identified in the review showed us a recent letter from the hospital which reported “problems with both judgement and technique” in her child’s surgery.
Ms Stohr, who has been suspended since the end of January, said in a statement: “I always strive to provide the highest standards of care to all my patients.
“I am co-operating fully with the trust investigation and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Tammy Harrison: ‘It was hell’
Left in agonising pain
Tammy Harrison, 12, has cerebral palsy and had surgeries carried out by Ms Stohr. Her operations didn’t work, leaving her in agonising pain.
She said: “My first one was just like trauma. I couldn’t get out of bed for eight weeks. I was either stuck in bed or stuck on the sofa. It was hell.”
Her mum, Lynn, told Sky News: “There is nothing that can put Tammy back to where she was now and that’s the sad thing.
“If I could just click my fingers and have the child back that I had I would do it with a blink of an eye.”
Ms Stohr operated on Lynn Harrison’s daughter
So far, there’s been no confirmation of any wrongdoing in Tammy’s care.
But her family have a meeting at the hospital this week to find out more.
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The trust has asked a panel of specialist clinicians to review all the planned operations carried out by Ms Stohr at Addenbrooke’s. One hundred emergency trauma cases will also be looked at.
Addenbrooke’s is a major regional trauma centre and treats serious emergency patients from all over the region.
One clinician at the hospital told Sky News that the review of so many patients was “creating a lot of extra work”, which was “slowing things down” for other patients awaiting treatment.
Addenbrooke’s Hospital. File pic: PA
At least one extra locum consultant has been helping the team, as they work through the caseload.
Trust apologises
Sky News has been told Cambridge University Hospitals Trust had wanted to identify Ms Stohr before but had been threatened with a legal injunction.
The trust has apologised unreservedly to families and patients. But what’s troubling many is the fact concerns were raised about Ms Stohr a decade ago.
Chief executive of Cambridge University Hospitals Trust, Roland Sinker, has set up another review to examine whether opportunities were missed, and action could have been taken sooner.
The Department of Health described the ongoing situation as “incredibly concerning.”
Sir Keir Starmer promised “bold changes” as he announced he will relax rules around electric vehicles after carmakers were hit by Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The prime minister said “global trade is being transformed” after the US president‘s 25% levy on imported cars, and 10% tariff on other products, came into force.
Jaguar Land Rover has said the firm will “pause” shipments to the US as it looks to “address the new trading terms”.
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Labour made a manifesto pledge to restore a 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars after it had been rolled back to 2035 by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government.
Starmer promises to ‘back British business’. Pic: Reuters
Sir Keir will officially confirm the ban in an announcement on Monday but regulations around manufacturing targets on electric cars and vans will be altered, to help firms in the transition.
Luxury supercar firms such as Aston Martin and McLaren will still be allowed to keep producing petrol cars beyond the 2030 date, because they only manufacture a small number of vehicles per year.
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‘Nothing off the table’ over tariffs
Petrol and diesel vans will also be allowed to be sold until 2035, along with hybrids and plug-in hybrid cars.
The government is also going to make it easier for manufacturers who do not comply with the government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which sets sales targets, to avoid fines, and the levies will be reduced.
Sir Keir said: “I am determined to back British brilliance.
“Now more than ever UK businesses and working people need a government that steps up, not stands aside.
“That means action, not words.”
Officials have said support for the car industry will continue to be kept under review as the full impact of the tariffs announced last week becomes clear.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the industry deserves “clarity” in the economic context.
She said: “Our ambitious package of strengthening reforms will protect and create jobs, making the UK a global automotive leader in the switch to EVs, all the while meeting our core manifesto commitment to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.”
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Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the government had “recognised the intense pressure manufacturers are under”, while Colin Walker, a transport analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the ZEV mandate is a “global success story” in driving a surge in sales of electric vehicles.
It comes as KPMG warned US tariffs on UK exports could see GDP growth fall to 0.8% in 2025 and 2026.
The accountancy firm said higher tariffs on specific categories, such as cars, aluminium and steel, would more than offset the exemption on pharmaceutical exports, leaving the effective tariffs imposed on UK exports at around 12%.
Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said: “Given the economic impact that tariffs would cause, there is a strong incentive to seek a negotiated settlement that diminishes the need for tariffs. The UK automotive manufacturing sector is particularly exposed given the complex supply chains of some producers.”
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