Victims quizzed in bid to raise rape convictions

Amar Singh12 April 2012

Rape victims are to be interviewed by the criminal justice system to find out why so few win justice.

The initiative, to be run by the policing standards watchdog the Inspectorate of Constabulary, comes as it emerged that Britain has the lowest conviction rates for the crime in Europe.

It is one of a raft of measures being introduced by the Home Office which is concerned the conviction rate for rape in England and Wales has fallen to 6.5 per cent.

The first European study of rape conviction rates put Britain bottom of 33 countries.

A Whitehall source said: "It should be higher and we are working to make it higher." The study's author, Liz Kelly, blamed a "culture of scepticism, which has refused to understand the realities of rape".

The scheme to interview victims will start next year. It is part of a national audit of police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

In another initiative, a group is to tour police forces advising on rape investigations. Dave Gee, a former detective chief superintendent who is running the programme, said: "Too often, because of the negative mind at the outset, the case is undermined rather than built up."

Rapists John Worboys and Kirk Reid were able to attack scores of women after the Met failed to investigate accusations properly.

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