Topic Lifecycle: Dormant
This topic is currently dormant in the news cycle. It was last covered on Monday 21 September 2026 and has not appeared in recent broadcasts.
Coverage trend (last 30 days)
How much coverage this topic got from each channel over the past month.
On screen
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Recent stories
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What was reported
A plain summary of this topic, built from the channels that covered it.
Sky News and ITV1 reported that the government promised that every Crown Court in England and Wales will have at least one courtroom dedicated to rape and serious sexual offences within two years. The plans were presented as a way to reduce delays and improve the treatment of victims. Sky News reported that victims would be guaranteed a private entrance and waiting room to keep them away from the defendant, that court staff would receive specialist training, and that each victim would have a single specialist point of contact. Sky News also reported that trials would be given fixed dates from this October instead of floating dates. ITV1 reported that the victim's minister said the changes would speed up processing times and that dedicated special measures would include video-link technology for witness testimony. Both channels reported significant backlogs and long waits. Sky News, citing Rape Crisis England and Wales, reported nearly 15,000 rape and sexual offence trials waiting to go to court, a 75% increase over three years, an average wait of 441 days before trial, and one in three trials postponed. ITV1 reported that last year rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once in court, and that the overall courts backlog was around 80,000 cases as of March. Sky News reported the changes would cost £23 million from the Ministry of Justice's existing budget. Sky News also reported the reforms are yet to be made reality. ITV1 reported wider questions about the courts backlog and the Courts and Tribunals Bill, including measures from the previous government to reduce jury trials, and said MPs would seek clarity from Burnham and the Ministry of Justice. Both channels reported that Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the changes, with ITV1 describing the response as cautious and a significant step forward. Sky News reported the Prime Minister said the changes were long overdue and that more was needed to tackle violence before it happened. Sky News also reported that Labour MP Charlotte Nichols waived her right to anonymity to speak about her own rape and waited more than 1,000 days for her trial to reach court. Sky News named Andy Burnham as announcing the specialist courts.
Key Claims by Channel
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At least one dedicated courtroom for rape and sexual offences is to be provided in every Crown Court in England and Wales within two years. | · | |||||
| Nearly 15,000 rape and sexual assault trials were reported to be waiting to go to court, a 75% increase over three years. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Victims of rape and sexual offences are to be guaranteed a private entrance and waiting room to shield them from the defendant. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The programme will cost £23 million from the Ministry of Justice's existing budget. | · | · | · | |||
| The Prime Minister said new specialist courts would help improve prosecution rates, which he described as very low. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Police recorded more than 71,000 rapes in 2024, but charges were brought in only 2.7% of cases. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Victims Minister described violence against women and girls as a national epidemic and emergency requiring a whole-system approach. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Andy Burnham said the justice system had failed survivors of sexual offences for too long. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The number of rape cases sent for prosecution and resulting in successful prosecution is falling. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Charlotte Nichols waited more than 1,000 days for her trial. | · | · | · | |||
| Specialist courts do not automatically create new capacity and may delay other cases. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Court staff will receive specialist training, and each survivor will have one specialist point of contact. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| From October, rape and sexual offence trials will be given fixed dates instead of floating dates. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The changes include special measures in courtrooms, such as video-link technology for witness testimony. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Prime Minister said the changes were long overdue, that sexual violence victims had waited too long for justice and been let down by the system, and that more must be done to tackle violence. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the reforms, describing them as a significant step forward. | · | · | · | · | ||
| There is a large court backlog, particularly for rape and sexual assault cases, with the Crown Court backlog standing at around 80,000 cases as of March. | · | · | ||||
| On average, a survivor will wait 441 days before their trial is heard, and one in three such trials are postponed. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Labour's 2024 manifesto promised to tackle violence against women and girls. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Last year, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the courts. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The victim's minister argued that the changes will speed up processing times. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Uncertainty about trial dates has a major impact on victims and survivors. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Courts and Tribunals Bill is progressing through Parliament and is due to be debated in the Commons next month, including measures from the previous government to reduce jury trials. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| 40% of rape and sexual offence cases fall over or do not get to trial when they are supposed to. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The Conservatives said Labour need more sitting days throughout the year to address the backlog. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| The proposed reforms are not yet in place. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| MPs are expected to seek clarity from Burnham and the Ministry of Justice on whether the proposals will continue. | · | · | · | · | · | |
| Morwenna's case proceeded only after two trials were cancelled the day before they were due to start. | · | · | · | · | · |
This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.
Timeline
Where this topic appeared. Cells show coverage time and are darker when there was more coverage.