The prime minister has announced that specialist rape courts will be rolled out across England and Wales over the next two years.
Rape cases will also be prioritised in the courts, in a bid to tacke uncertainty and delays for survivors.
In 2025, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the Crown Court, with many victims withdrawing before their case was heard.
In a bid to transform how the justice system treats survivors, every Crown Court in England and Wales will get at least one courtroom especially set up to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years.
Private waiting rooms and entrances for victims will also be designated. Court staff will also be given trauma-informed training. Victims of sex offences will get a single point of contact to ensure their needs are met during the court process.
Rape and serious sexual offence cases will be given a fixed date as opposed to being placed on floating lists where they can be moved at short notice and delayed by many months.
The prime minister, Andy Burnham, said: “For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system. Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice.
“This is not good enough. That’s why we are making major changes to rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first. This includes rolling out specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sex offences.”
He added: “These changes are long overdue and will make a significant difference, but focusing on prosecution alone will not be enough. So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place.
Lord Chancellor Alex Norris said: “Victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt they’ve been left alone facing the criminal justice system for too long. They have been treated as cases to process and not as people to support.
“The funding we are announcing today will provide that support that victims deserve – delivering courtrooms that are designed with victim needs in mind and providing specialist training for staff to handle these cases with care.”
The new measures also include a new Rape Justice Taskforce, drawing leaders from across the criminal justice system to tackle the rising rate of postponed rape trials and confront the myths that cause victims to withdraw from their own cases.
Earlier this month, the prime minister announced that by the end of 2027, all police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams, helping to make sure more criminal cases are prosecuted.
