We’re urging the Government to take action on sexual abuse trial delays

New data shows delays to criminal trials have increased by 55% in the past five years.

The average number of days between a defendant being charged in child sexual abuse cases in England and Wales and the criminal trial starting rose from 273 days in 2017-18 to 423 days in 2022-2023.¹
A drawn-out justice process hampers recovery of victims of child sexual abuse especially if they don’t have therapeutic support.
We’re calling on the Government to strengthen the Victims and Prisoners Bill, overhaul the justice system and provide better support for children and young people.

As delays to child sexual abuse trials increase, we’re calling on the Government to strengthen the Victims and Prisoners Bill.

New data from the Ministry of Justice shows the average number of days between a defendant in child sexual abuse cases being charged and the criminal trial starting increased by 55% in the last five years.¹

As part of a coalition of leading children’s charities, we’re calling on the Government to amend the Victims and Prisoners Bill to create a child-centred, sufficiently resourced and accountable justice system.

We’re joined by Barnardo’s, Action for Children, The Children’s Society and the National Youth Advocacy Service, who, like us, are committed to protecting children and strengthening the criminal justice response.

Ahead of the Bill’s second reading in the House of Lords on Monday 18 December, the children’s charities want to see a commitment to improving support for children experiencing abuse and exploitation including providing sufficient and specific support to child victims as they go through the court process.

In addition, the NSPCC is calling on the Government to overhaul the criminal justice system, provide significant investment to address the current backlogs in the court, and fast-track cases involving young witnesses and victims.

How delays impact on children

The average number of days between a defendant in child sexual abuse cases being charged and the criminal trial starting rose from 273 days in 2017/2018 to 423 days in 2022/2023.

This means that of the 5,513 outstanding child sexual abuse cases going through the crown courts this year victims will wait on average almost 14 months before their case even goes to trial.

For a child who is already experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a consequence of sexual abuse, the drawn-out process of waiting for a trial to start let alone come to completion can be extremely distressing.

Meanwhile, access to specific support to help them recover from the abuse can be scarce. Earlier this year, the NSPCC revealed that only 23% of local authorities say they offer specialised support for children in the form of independent and specially trained advisors.

Poppy, now 19, was sexually abused by her grandfather and disclosed her abuse when she was 11. It took 18 months for her case to reach trial and 5 months for her to receive counselling.

Now, Poppy and her mum Miranda want there to be more support available for child victims earlier on in the court process.

Poppy said: “It was two years until my case came to trial which had a huge impact on me. I have blocked a lot of it out. It was strange going into court knowing it was the day.

"I was so desperate to fight my own corner and there was a good amount of anger behind me on that day. Telling my side of the story was incredibly important.

“I want all children who have gone through this to get the counselling they need and the support they deserve. It took five months for me to get my first counselling session after I disclosed the abuse, but the wait is so much longer now.”

Miranda added: “It was incredibly difficult for our whole family to watch Poppy go through the court process but the one-to-one counselling we received became a vital support, enabling us to cope effectively.

"It is unthinkable that some children do not get the same access to services that can help build their resilience and help them move on with their lives.”

Clare Kelly, Associate Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the NSPCC said:

“Going through the criminal justice system can be a painful process for children who have experienced abuse. This can be made worse by consistent delays which leave children in limbo, without access to support designed for them to support their recovery.

“Year on year we see court waiting times increase as the courts continue to battle a backlog of child sexual abuse cases. This has been a problem well before the pandemic but has been exacerbated by various lockdowns and court closures over the last five years.

“The Government have said they are committed to supporting victims of child sexual abuse but they must follow through by taking action on these long, distressing court waiting times.

"This could be achieved partly through the Victims and Prisoners Bill by enshrining a commitment to upholding children’s rights as victims as they go through the courts.

“However, to turn this deteriorating situation around, the Government must also invest in the criminal justice system to ensure these cases are progressed by police and prosecutors, young witnesses have support to give their evidence and their cases are heard by courts as speedily and effectively as possible”.

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References

1. Ministry of Justice data for England and Wales via a Freedom of Information request.