WORK to improve outcomes for victims of rape and serious sexual assault is seeing some improvement in Hampshire.

Why is this being highlighted now?

An action plan to increase the number of rape cases reaching court was published by the Government last week following an in-depth review into how the criminal justice system handles rape.

The CPS took a central role in the development of this review.

In Hampshire, CPS Wessex has been working in partnership with the county’s police service as well as Dorset Police and Wiltshire Police to improve outcomes for victims in rape and serious sexual assault (RASSO) cases.

What is happening in Hampshire?

This long-term partnership project, known as the Tri-Force Wessex RASSO Action Plan, launched in February 2021.

A spokesperson for CPS Wessex said there have already been improvements in key areas.

This includes an improvement in the time taken between the referral of a case by the police and a charging decision from the CPS.

This reduction in time, by 68 per cent in some cases, has been achieved through early partnership working focussed on building strong cases from the outset.

All three police forces have reported an increase in the number of individuals having the confidence to report rape and serious sexual offences.

In turn, CPS Wessex is starting to see an increase in referrals from the police which means that more cases are coming through the system and are being reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

What do the people leading this say?

Sophie Stevens, head of CPS Wessex RASSO Unit, said: “Our team of dedicated and specialist prosecutors are committed to delivering justice for victims of rape and serious sexual assaults.

“This is a serious and complex area of law, and each case requires careful and sensitive legal review.“I am very pleased that our partnership with the police has started to see real improvements in the volume of cases we receive and in the length of time it takes to reach a charging decision but we know there is more work to be done.

“We want victims to be better supported and to receive swifter justice, and we will continue to work closely with our police partners to achieve better outcomes in these cases.”

Detective Chief Inspector Roger Wood, head of Operation Amberstone,the team that investigates rape and serious sexual offences in Hampshire, said: “Rape is one of the most complex crimes police investigate.

“We are working closely with prosecutors in the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit at CPS Wessex to improve the case-building process and the service we provide victims. We know there is more to do, but the steady increase in referrals and charge rate is an indication these changes are already making a positive difference.”

“We are also working to ensure victims understand why digital evidence and third party material is relevant to an investigation and how we collect it and why. In addition, we are looking to improve our first contact with victims, and ensure there are effective processes in place for early engagement and lawyer allocation for effective pre-charge case progression.

“We know there is more to do to increase the number of cases brought before a court, however we have seen a steady increase in charge and conviction rates since March 2020 and this work is continuing.

“Everyone with a role in investigating and prosecuting these crimes chooses to work in this area and are passionate about getting justice for victims.”