Boris Johnson plans to set targets for police in bid to increase number of rape case prosecutions 

Police could be set targets for the number of rape cases they refer to prosecutors in an attempt to reverse the alarming fall in trials.

The Crown Prosecution Service may also be given quotas for how many suspects they take to court under the plans being considered by Downing Street.

Rape prosecutions have fallen to their lowest level since records began, figures showed last month.

A total of 2,102 reached court in 2019-2020 – a 59 per cent decline since 2016. This was despite reports of rape increasing by a third to 55,130. Since 2016-17, referrals from the police to the CPS have plummeted by 40 per cent.

The controversial new targets will be set by the Prime Minister’s crime and justice task force, according to The Guardian. They will propose the CPS prosecutes a greater proportion of rape cases every year.

The full details are expected to be announced later this year.

The CPS normally sets its own targets for different crimes.

The move would be the first time it has been subject to a Government-imposed target for rape prosecutions and could lead to a row.

An end-to-end review of how the criminal justice responds to rape and sexual violence is expected to report back later this year. 

A Government spokesman said: ‘We are determined to restore faith in the justice system and give victims of rape the confidence everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.

‘We will continue to work with the police to look at ways to improve their role in the investigation and prosecution of rape.’

Last month the CPS was accused of being ‘too slow’ in its plans to boost conviction rates.

Police could be set targets for the number of rape cases they refer to prosecutors in an attempt to reverse the alarming fall in trials

Last month the CPS was accused of being ‘too slow’ in its plans to boost conviction rates. Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird said it lacked the drive to turn around its record of handling rape cases, which she said was ‘utterly shameful’

Victims Commissioner Dame Vera Baird said it lacked the drive to turn around its record of handling rape cases, which she said was ‘utterly shameful’. She added: ‘There is no complexity in why rape prosecutions have crashed.

‘It is a policy by CPS to take only rock-solid prosecutions as set down in a CPS document in 2016/17. The DPP could reverse that immediately and he has been asked to do so by rape campaigners for the entire time he has been in post.’

Low conviction rates among rapists have been blamed on the way in which cases are investigated.

Campaigners have complained about ‘digital rape’ which allows police to go through the phones and social media accounts of victims. The policy has led to some dropping their allegation.

In November, it was revealed prosecutors had been operating towards a 60 per cent conviction target.

The disclosure fuelled fears they were not taking cases to court unless they were an easy win.