The backlog of cases in crown courts is at unmanageable levels and is actively harming victims and causing undue stress, the victims’ commissioner says.
In a damning 73-page report, Baroness Newlove described the disruption to victims’ lives and how many suffer from poor mental health and a reliance on drugs and alcohol to cope.
“They’ve gone to report a horrendous crime happening to them, but in the process they have been retraumatised by the very system they thought would protect them,” the commissioner said.
“In the length of time it’s actually taken to get a court trial – to have to turn to alcohol, to have to turn to drugs as a coping mechanism says everything about a system that is failing, not just on its knees.
“To see that some were also self-harming and some were suicidal. That cannot be right.”
Bella, whose name Sky News has changed, is a victim of abuse. She first reported her former partner for abuse in 2014.
He was charged eight years later, in 2022, with a catalogue of offences including rape, sexual assault and coercive control.
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But the trial only went ahead last year.
‘I couldn’t cope’
“It really affected my mental health,” Bella says.
“It’s cost me many jobs because I couldn’t go to work when decisions were being made with the police. It affected me in ways where I just couldn’t cope – I had to get support with my son. They changed the police officers who I had trust in. It’s affected me in so many ways.”
Almost half of the victims – 48% – have had their trial date postponed at least once, but this often happens multiple times.
There are 73,105 outstanding criminal cases waiting to be dealt with in crown courts in England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Delays are ‘a further injustice’
Sky News has spoken to survivors who only found out their trial had been delayed on the day. Adjournments can even span several years.
“Victims are trapped in a cycle of delay, frustration and despair,” says Baroness Newlove.
“For those who have already endured profound trauma, the drawn-out process is not just a setback – it is a further injustice.”
Read more: Inside the UK’s ‘wild west’ court system
Despite the delays, Bella urged survivors not to give up, saying: “It nearly broke me a few times. My parents, my friends said to me, it’s going to kill you, but despite the impact it’s having on you mentally, you need to not give up. Because you will get justice.”
Bella’s abuser was found guilty of actual bodily harm and coercive control. He has now been jailed.
The report follows Sky News’ ongoing coverage of the backlog.
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We have spoken to multiple victims of crime who have had painful waits for their day in court, as well as several victim services, that say they struggle to keep morale up.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, previously told Sky News the delays were “totally unacceptable” and tackling the wait for justice was his “highest priority”.
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A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This government inherited a record and rising courts backlog – that’s why we’ve asked Sir Brian Leveson to propose once-in-a-generation reform to deliver swifter justice for victims.
“We’ve already funded an additional 2,500 sitting days, raising court capacity to the highest in almost 10 years and are committed to working with our partners to deliver longer-term reform. We will not stop until we have a system that protects victims, supports their journey to justice and holds perpetrators to account.”
