New facilities for witnesses who have been sexually assaulted are a step towards halving violence against girls and women The creation of specialist courts to try rape and serious sexual offences in England and Wales is a welcome recognition from the government that the status quo is unacceptable. Victims, the vast majority of whom are women and girls, are being failed by a system that too often appears blind to the obstacles in the way of anyone who wants to see a perpetrator brought to justice. In 2025, rape cases took an average of 424 days after they had reached the crown court. Added to pre‑trial delays, this means thousands of lives being placed on hold for years. Long waits are simply unendurable in many cases; a rape review ordered by Conservative ministers in 2021 found that the proportion of complainants dropping out of cases had risen from 25% to 43% in five years. As well as the harm caused to individuals, there is an obvious impact on public safety when perpetrators go unpunished, and chances to rehabilitate them are missed. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...