Original Summary

Getty Images Specialist courts to handle cases of rape and other sexual offences will be introduced across England and Wales over the next two years, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced. Each crown court will be equipped with at least one courtroom dedicated to hearing such cases. They will offer victims private entrances and waiting rooms to separate them from defendants, and there will be new training for court staff and fixed dates for trials. Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the measures, which are expected to cost around £23m, as a "significant step forward" for the justice system that addressed a number of reforms it had been requesting for many years. "Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims and survivors, which is crucial to securing justice," said the charity's chief executive, Ciara Bergman. The government said the changes follow Labour MP Charlotte Nichols showing "immense strength and bravery" in speaking publicly about being raped and calling for changes to the justice system. Nichols waived her automatic right to anonymity in March when she made a Commons speech and described having to wait more than 1,000 days to go to court. Under the new measures, to be funded out of the Ministry of Justice budget, court staff will be given "trauma-informed training" and a single person of contact will be assigned to each survivor. From next month, trials will be given a fixed date rather than placed on floating lists in what Burnham said was an effort to "rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first". Earlier this year, the government announced that rape victims would be given access to specialist legal advice throughout the criminal justice process. Labour promised in its 2024 manifesto to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. "For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system," Burnham said. "Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice. This is not good enough." The changes were "long overdue" and would make a "significant difference" but focusing on prosecution alone would not be enough, he added. "So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place," the prime minister said. Nichols spoke publicly for the first time about being raped when she accused the then Justice Secretary, David Lammy, of using crime victims as a "cudgel" to push through his reforms of the legal system. She was criticising the Courts and Tribunals Bill's plans to limit jury trials to cases with a likely prison sentence of three years or more. She said she had waited 1,088 days to go to court, with every day being "agony" and the "trauma" made worse by her role in public life. Her attacker, she said, was acquitted at crown court but subsequently ordered to pay compensation after she won a civil case against him. "It is because I have been raped that I am as passionate as I am about what it means for a justice system to be truly victim-focused," she said. "It is because I have endured every indignity that our broken criminal justice system could mete out that I care what kind of reform will actually deliver justice for survivors and victims of crime more widely." Responding to news of the specialist courts being rolled out, the Conservatives said tackling delays to criminal rape trials was "long overdue" and they pushed Labour to commit to scrapping plans to restrict jury trials. "The fact that victims have been withdrawing their cases because they have taken too long has been a disgrace," said shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy. "Labour need to get courts sitting throughout the year, end the delays and clear the backlog – not undermine our right to a trial by jury." Last year another charity, the Salford Survivor Project, said victims of rape and sexual assault were being "failed by the system" as court backlogs reached a record high. The long delays for cases to go to trial were having a serious impact on victims' mental health, it said. Also last year, a woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a taxi driver on her 21st birthday told BBC News she had dropped the case because of court delays. She reported the alleged incident in early 2022 and gave evidence in court in December 2023 but the case was adjourned until September 2024 when the judge fell ill. "I made the decision, even though I hate the statement, to drop the case," she said. "I couldn't let this hurt me further." The Crown Prosecution Service said that, without her testimony, the case had been dropped because of insufficient evidence. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line website.

中文概览

中文标题： 英格兰和威尔士将推广强奸案专门法庭

英国首相安迪·伯纳姆宣布，未来两年在英格兰和威尔士推广审理强奸及其他性犯罪的专门法庭。每个刑事法院至少设一间专用法庭，为受害者提供单独入口和候审室，并引入创伤知情培训、固定审判日期等措施，预计耗资约2300万英镑。强奸危机组织表示欢迎，认为这回应了其多年诉求。政府称改革源于工党议员夏洛特·尼科尔斯公开讲述遭强奸经历并呼吁改革。

  • 情报分类：综合情报
  • 分类依据：英国司法政策新闻，不属于技术、工作、商业、项目、服务器或硬件类别
  • 信息来源：英语新闻 / BBC News Top Stories
  • 发布时间：2026/9/21 05:30:36