THERE is no doubt we have seen major improvements to the way the Scottish justice system handles cases of rape and sexual crime. Much has changed since 2008 when the then Lord Advocate Elish Angiolini criticised Scots laws on rape as “among the most restrictive in the western world”.
We have seen the launch of a National Sexual Crimes Unit and intensive work within the Crown Office to improve the way cases are tried, in a bid to increase the success rate. However Scotland at that time had one of the world’s lowest conviction rates for rape.
While these rates may have improved, a new report from the Inspectorate of Prosecutions makes bleak reading about the experiences of victims. Many are left in the dark, with appearances in the witness box postponed at the last minute, venues changed, and a shocking lack of clear, timely information about what is going on with a case. This is the worst possible way to get effective evidence, according to Rape Crisis Scotland. The inspectorate says it causes victims to drop out, which is not in the interests of justice.
The report is strong but its recommendations are limited. Campaigners would like to see more radical reform, starting with taking video evidence much closer to the date of an alleged attack. This has support from senior members of the judiciary and must be an approach worth serious consideration.
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