In brief, the Govt plans to overhaul how rape is handled, from first report through to prosecution, in order to tackle the plummet in prosecution and conviction rates. Buckland and Priti Patel have stated they are deeply ashamed at the Justice system's failure to bring rapists to justice. They acknowledge they have to do better, and have come up with a plan of action to address the failures.
Key proposals include reducing the length of time victims are left without their phones, pre-recording victim cross examination earlier in the process and away from the courtroom and placing less emphasis on victim credibility and more on the suspect's behaviour.
Newsnight this evening interviewed Caroline Nokes, Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee and Ellie Reeves, Shadow Solicitor General. Labour saying the proposals don't go far enough, and the role out will not be quick enough. The principle complaint is that the government created the situation through cuts to the police, CPS and courts; and that the proposed reform is being rolled out on a limited basis via a pilot scheme, rather than being implemented straight away in all courts.
Can't deny that 10 years of the Tories has created an utterly shit situation for rape victims, but there's never been a time when rape victims were treated as victims rather than complicit in their own attack. As someone who had to go through 2 years of a SA hanging over my head, and then a ridiculously botched trial, all under the auspices of a Labour government, I am going to be cautiously optimistic.