There is an article in The Sunday Times about a serious backlog in prosecutions which means victims of rape are denied justice. This compounds the existing problems with rape, that a fraction of offences are recommended for prosecution and that sentencing is often woeful. As demonstrated by the Worbuoys case.
^Rape and other crimes involving sexual violence are being made more difficult to prosecute by the huge delays in jury trials caused by the pandemic.
Victims’ groups fear that some women who have waited years for justice will drop proceedings after being told that their cases have been postponed either indefinitely or for many months. Witness testimony, meanwhile, will become less reliable as the time between alleged offence and court date lengthens, according to lawyers. Some defendants have received a lighter sentence after deciding to plead guilty and avoid going to trial. Osman Basri, 47, a convicted sex offender, was sentenced to only 10 months in prison at Wood Green crown court, north London, in July, after admitting stalking with intent to cause distress. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years^