27 February 2023 , 00:01
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Failure to tackle violence against women and girls means rape has effectively been decriminalised under the Tories, a Labour frontbencher says.
Shadow justice minister Ellie Reeves said a Labour government would bring in specialist rape courts, tougher sentencing for rapists and a domestic violence register.
Ms Reeves accused the Government of lacking the desire to deal with gender-based violence, stating: "If you have the political will, you would just get on and do it. And that seems to be lacking."
She said she stood by a controversial remark in the Commons last summer, when she said low conviction rates meant that rape had been "decriminalised".
Ms Reeves told PA news agency: "I do stand by the comments and when prosecutions for rape are only one in 100, you have effectively decriminalised rape."
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At the time, Conservative former cabinet minister Dame Andrea Leadsom told MPs she was "disgusted" by the remark, arguing they undermine "the confidence of women across this country in our judicial system".
Just 1.6% of rapes reported to police resulted in a prosecution in the year to September 2022 (file image) (PA)Ms Reeves said: "Frankly, it's not my words that are deterring women from coming forward, it is this Government's inaction in tackling violence against women and girls that's letting women down and deterring them from coming forward."
Home Office figures show that across England and Wales, rape had the lowest charge rate across all crimes, with just 1.6% of rapes recorded by police leading to prosecution in the year to September 2022.
Labour has announced plans for courts that specialise in rape cases to increase the speed cases are heard and ensure victims get the required support.
The shadow minister said: "Within the courts, you would have judges who are routinely hearing rape cases, so they understand the issues, they have had training in myths and stereotypes about victims.
"And a court staff equally that understands the complexity of these cases. It's a big area for us: setting up those specialist rape courts and getting them in every single Crown Court in the country and getting those rape cases listed and listed quickly."
Tory Dame Andrea Leadsom last year criticised Ms Reeves for making the remark (Getty Images)Ms Reeves said Labour would bring in a minimum sentence of seven years for rapists, a move she said would "send a really, really clear signal that this sort of behaviour is just absolutely abhorrent and wrong".
She said that specialist legal advocateswould drive up prosecution, drive up standards but also support victims throughout the process, "from the moment they report it at a police station right through to trial".
It would cost "just shy of £4 million to roll out across the country".
Pressed on the figures at justice questions earlier this month, justice minister Edward Argar said the number of people convicted of an adult rape offence went up by 65% over the past year; compared to pre-pandemic levels, convictions are up by 41%.
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Mr Argar hit back that Labour's action on serious crime "don't match their empty words".
The justice minister added: "They have consistently voted against tougher sentences for rape and failed to properly support victims when they were in power.
"This Government has increased sentences, quadrupled funding for victims, increased rape convictions by two thirds last year and just this week announced that we are putting the most dangerous domestic abusers on the sex offenders register.
"Only the Conservatives can be trusted to deliver the support and justice that victims of rape deserve."