Just one in 43 rape offences led to a charge in Cumbria last year

It comes has the charity Rape Crisis England and Wales said increased charging rates and access to specialist sexual violence support is vital.

Figures released by the Home Office show there were 532 rape offences recorded by Cumbria Constabulary in the year to March 2024 – 12 of which resulted in a charge or summons, accounting for 2.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, the constabulary had an average charge and summons rate of 9.8 per cent across all offences.

Across England and Wales, the charge or summons rate was 2.6 per cent, while the overall charge rate for all recorded offences was 6.4 per cent.

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Ciara Bergman, chief executive of Rape Crisis, said: "This data reflects what we already know: the criminal justice system must do better for victims and survivors."

She added that rape survivors take ‘brave steps’ to report the crimes committed against them expecting accountability for the perpetrator and that the national figure of 2.6 per cent is ‘unacceptable’.

"With so many survivors being denied their opportunity to seek criminal justice, it's clear that the system isn't working, but we need more than a level of commitment; we need to see drastic improvements,” Ms Bergman concluded.

The Home Office said rape offences that led to a charge or court summons took the longest time to investigate, at an average of 423 days.

This is compared with 55 days for violence against the person offences and 28 days for theft offences.

Of the rape offences recorded in Cumbria, 31.2 per cent were not assigned an outcome as of March 2024, meaning they were still under investigation.

Meanwhile, 31.8 per cent were closed due to evidential difficulties where the suspect was identified, but the victim did not support further action.

A Cumbria Constabulary spokesperson said senior officers presented the most recent figures for all offences, up to May 2024, at their public accountability conference (PAC) last month.

The figures presented show an ‘increase in positive outcomes’ for all sexual offences including rape – 12.73 per cent from 11.65 per cent the previous year, they said.

They added that for all crimes the ‘positive outcome rate’ was 19.5 per cent, up from 14.8 per cent the previous year.

The spokesperson said a ‘positive outcome’ refers to when a criminal has been correctly identified and has ‘faced the appropriate sanction or takes part in a restorative justice programme, if applicable’.

"Sexual offences are horrendous crimes that have a profound and lasting impact on victims - and they could not be taken more seriously by the constabulary," they added

"As a police force, we are committed to investigating thoroughly any report we receive, whilst ensuring that survivors are safeguarded and have the support they need, whether via our specially trained officers or via specialist partners.

“Sexual offending is abhorrent and we are committed to pursuing any identified offenders to bring them to justice.

“Whilst we will continue to strive to improve the positive outcome rates for all offences, including rape and other sexual offences, we urge anyone who has been a victim of crime to come forward and report as soon as possible so that officers can begin gathering evidence of criminality immediately."

Ms Bergman said demand for ‘specialist sexual violence support’ has reached ‘unprecedented levels’ in recent years with 14,000 people currently on Rape Crisis’ waiting lists.

Long-term and sustainable funding for this support is urgently needed, she added.

Separate figures from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) show 3,847 suspects were charged in all rape cases referred for a charging decision in 2023-24, a 28 per cent increase from the year before.

The CPS said it consistently charges around seven out of 10 rape or serious sexual offence cases referred by police for a charging decision.

A central government spokesperson said: "In far too many cases, rape victims aren’t getting the justice they deserve.

“It is important that police and prosecutors work together in a timely way to build the strongest possible case.

"We have committed to fast-tracking rape cases and are carefully considering the best way to do this.

“We are working with the judiciary and will announce the next steps in due course."

If you need help or support after sexual violence or abuse, you can contact Rape Crisis via their 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line and speak to one of their specialists at 0808 500 2222 for free, or go to the website to start a free online chat.