Horror statistics show that crime victims will suffer even more in the coming months | Politics | News

More and more victims of crime are having to wait agonizingly for justice, as the backlog in the courts is expected to rise to 80,000 by March.

Lawyers have warned the Home Office and the Justice Ministry that there will be further delays in processing thousands of cases, which will be detrimental to the fight against crime.

The Criminal Bar Association announced that more than 6,523 victims have been waiting for over two years.

And in more than a quarter of cases, people now have to wait more than 12 months for a hearing.

But news that the backlog in courts is set to grow from 67,000 to 80,000 in the coming months is likely to alarm justice ministers, who are already struggling with prison overcrowding and a shortage of detectives.

Criminal Bar Association chair Mary Prior KC said: “It is estimated that by March 2025 the backlog will be almost 80,000 cases.”

“The criminal justice system can only function properly if this backlog is reduced by around 50%.

“The consequence of the failure of this plan is that the number of people awaiting trial is higher than it has been for 50 years. More than 17,000 people are in custody waiting for their trials to be concluded.

“About two-thirds of them are awaiting trial in custody.”

The Ministry of Justice has set a goal of reducing the backlog to 50,000 by March next year.

Instead, a sharp increase is expected.

Ms Prior added: “More than a quarter of criminal cases referred to the Crown Court now have to wait a year or more for a trial, increasing the burden on all parties involved.

“The number of cases, 6,523, in which people are waiting more than two years for a trial is increasing.

“Although the trauma of waiting is clear for both plaintiffs and defendants, it is often forgotten that citizens who have witnessed crimes are also anxious and nervous about giving their testimony.

“Memories fade over time. Delays in seeking justice can result in justice being denied.”

“The trauma that delays in reporting rape and domestic violence cases cause, along with the fact that very few police reports result in rape charges, is regularly in the news, but the delays impact so many other cases.”

When courts closed due to social distancing, caseloads skyrocketed—and the backlog grew even larger when lawyers quit or went on strike amid a major labor dispute.

And the lawyers of many fraud victims are left in the lurch.

Ms Prior added: “We want to raise awareness of the very real problems in fraud cases.

“One in fifteen of us is said to have been the victim of fraud, and fraud against individuals costs around £7 billion every year.

“Currently, only about 0.75% of fraud cases reported to the police each year result in prosecution, or about one in a thousand. In those cases where prosecutions take place, the conviction rate is 84.9%.

“Fraud is not considered a priority investigative measure and trials of defendants released on bail are significantly delayed.”

Offenders released early from prison as part of a measure to reduce overcrowding behind bars were not electronically monitored, even though monitoring provides crucial protection for victims.

Domestic abusers are among those left free on the streets after Sir Keir Starmer released 1,750 offenders.

The government had stressed that thugs convicted of assaulting or stalking their partners would be labelled as thugs after their release.

A former prisoner warned that some ruffians were ignoring the curfew because they were not being monitored, adding: “This is a disaster waiting to happen.”