Rape survivors in England and Wales are set to receive greater support during court proceedings under a new government programme designed to reduce delays and improve their experience of the criminal justice system.
The reforms, announced on Monday by the UK Ministry of Justice, will provide survivors with private entrances and waiting areas at Crown Courts, while rape and serious sexual offence cases will be assigned fixed trial dates.
Under the initiative, every Crown Court in England and Wales will have at least one courtroom specially equipped to handle rape and serious sexual offence cases within the next two years.
The specialist facilities will include separate waiting areas and entrances for victims, as well as technology to enable evidence to be recorded in advance and sentencing proceedings to be viewed remotely.
The government said rape and serious sexual offence cases would also be prioritised to prevent them from being repeatedly moved under the existing floating-list system.
The reforms are intended to tackle lengthy delays in the justice system, with official figures showing that rape cases took an average of 424 days to conclude after reaching the Crown Court in 2025.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said victims of rape and serious sexual offences had waited too long for justice.
“For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system,” Burnham said, adding that prosecution rates for rape remained low while many survivors waited years for their cases to be resolved.
He said the government was introducing the measures to place greater emphasis on victims while also addressing the prevention of sexual violence.
Lord Chancellor Alex Norris said survivors had often been left to navigate the criminal justice system without adequate support.
“Victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt they’ve been left alone facing the criminal justice system for too long,” Norris said.
He added that the new funding would support the development of victim-focused courtrooms and specialist training for court staff.
The reforms will also require court employees to undergo trauma-informed training. The government will further pilot a system under which victims of sexual offences will have a single point of contact throughout their court proceedings.
A new Rape Justice Taskforce is also being established to bring together criminal justice leaders to address postponed trials and issues the government says can contribute to victims withdrawing from cases.
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Rape Crisis England & Wales welcomed the measures, describing them as reforms the organisation had advocated for over several years.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Ciara Bergman, said the package represented an important step towards making courts more suitable for victims and survivors.
She particularly welcomed measures aimed at improving trial efficiency and enabling survivors to participate in and observe proceedings more easily.
Bergman also said separate entrances, waiting areas and exits were important in reducing the distress survivors could experience when encountering alleged perpetrators or their supporters at court.
The latest announcement forms part of the UK government’s wider pledge to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
Earlier this month, Burnham announced plans for all police forces in England and Wales to have dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams by the end of 2027.
The government said it had committed more than £1bn to support victims of violence against women and girls since taking office, alongside measures including domestic abuse specialists in emergency call centres and new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders.
The latest reforms also follow public campaigning by Charlotte Nichols, who has shared her experience and called for stronger support for victims and survivors of rape and serious sexual offences.