Survivors of rape in Cambridgeshire have less than a five per cent chance of securing a prosecution against their perpetrator.
That's according to figures obtained by Newsquest from Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
Between 2019 and 2023, more than 4,000 reports of rape were made to Cambridgeshire Police.
The figures also reveal that there were more than 4,300 reports of sexual assault in Cambridgeshire during the same period.
Yet, just 173 reports of rape resulted in a successful prosecution - giving the county a prosecution rate of just 4.1 per cent.
Responding to the figures, Katie Kempen, chief executive at the charity Victim Support, said: "As these figures lay bare, prosecution rates for rape and sexual assault cases are staggeringly low.
"Too many victim-survivors receive the devastating news that their case is being dropped and are denied justice.
"It is vital that victim-survivors are treated with dignity and respect throughout the criminal justice process, that they are made to feel listened to and believed, and that these crimes are thoroughly investigated."
She added: "The next government must ensure that victims have timely access to justice, put victims’ rights into action, and work across all agencies to tackle and prosecute sexual violence."
In 2020 there were 857 reports of rape in Cambridgeshire, which increased to 907 in 2021.
Meanwhile, the number of sexual assaults reported to police increased from 659 in 2020 to 899 in 2021.
Kirsty Richards, director and head of family at the National Legal Service described the figures as "alarming" but said it was unsurprising so few cases resulted in prosecution.
She added: "I’m not surprised, but as a solicitor that deals with a lot of domestic abuse cases, including rape and sexual assault, it continues to alarm me that sexual crimes are just not dealt with at all, let alone properly.
"Sadly victims of rape and sexual assault start from a place of simply not being believed by authorities and this is magnified if the detail of their case is particular perverse."
"Victims will often get to the end of the process with a police investigation and be told there will be no further action taken."
The findings come amid a national decline in prosecution rates for rape and sexual assault survivors.
In the year to September 2021, just 1.3 per cent of rape cases recorded by police resulted in a suspect being charged.
This compares to a 7.1 per cent charge rate for all other recorded crimes in the same period.
In early 2022, a report into the police and Crown Prosecution Service's response to rape cases found victims of sexual violence were being "continually and systematically failed".
The joint inspection by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate concluded that “change is needed now”.
Detective Superintendent Sherrie Nash said: “Tackling serious sexual offences is a force priority and we work tirelessly to support survivors of rape and other sexual offences and to bring offenders to justice.
“Cambridgeshire Constabulary has adopted the principles of Operation Soteria which is a nationally led, evidence based approach to improving investigations into sexual offences and this has seen local and national increases in the number of charges and prosecutions.
"Survivors are supported through a dedicated investigation team with specially trained officers who are co-located at the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (The Elms) ensuring close liaison with the county wide network of statutory and third sector organisations who provide specialist provision to victims.
“We encourage all victims of rape and sexual assault to come forward and report it. They will be listened to and supported every step of the way.”
If you have been affected by the issues raised in this piece, you can contact The Survivors Trust at 08088 010 818, or access their website here.
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