Rape

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Sky News and ITV1 reported that the government has announced specialist courts for rape and sexual offence cases in England and Wales. Under the plan, every Crown Court is to have at least one courtroom dedicated to these cases, with the changes to be introduced over the next two years. Sky News reported a cost of 23 million pounds from the Ministry of Justice budget and that trials are to be given fixed dates from as early as next month, depending on availability. ITV1 reported that from next month trials will be given a fixed date rather than placed on floating lists. The measures include private entrances and waiting rooms to keep victims separate from defendants, trauma-informed training for court staff, and a single point of contact for victims. Sky News reported that around 15,000 cases are waiting to be heard in the courts, a 75% increase over three years, and cited Rape Crisis England and Wales figures that one in four women have been raped or sexually assaulted in England and Wales since age 16, more than 71,000 rapes were recorded by police in 2024, and charges were brought in 2.7% of those cases. ITV1 reported that last year rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the courts. The Prime Minister said victims had waited far too long and the system had let them down, according to ITV1, while Sky News reported he said prosecution rates are shamefully low. The victims minister told Sky News that a whole-system approach is needed and described violence against women and girls as a national emergency, with prevention at its heart. ITV1 reported that the government has announced a series of measures on violence against women and girls, including a national task force announced over the weekend to reduce misogyny, and that the courts and tribunals bill returns to the Commons next month with controversial measures to restrict jury trials. Charities including Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the reforms, Sky News reported.

Key Claims by Channel

Claim
Reported by all 2 channels
The government announced specialist courts to deal with rape and sexual offences in England and Wales.	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
Every Crown Court in England and Wales will have at least one courtroom dedicated to handling rape and serious sexual offence cases.	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The specialist courts are to be introduced over the next two years.	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The courts will have a private entrance and waiting room to shield victims from defendants.	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
Trials will be assigned a fixed date rather than being placed on floating lists, with fixed dates beginning as early as next month depending on availability.	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The Prime Minister said the specialist courts would help improve shamefully low prosecution rates and that victims of sexual violence have waited far too long for justice, with the system having let them down.	Reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
Only on one channel
Last year, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the courts.	Reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
Court staff will receive trauma-informed training.	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
Victims will be provided with a single point of contact.	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The changes will cost 23 million pounds from the Ministry of Justice budget.	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
Around 15,000 cases are waiting to be heard in the courts, a 75% increase over the last three years.	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
Rape Crisis England and Wales figures indicate that one in four women in England and Wales have been raped or sexually assaulted since age 16, more than 71,000 rapes were recorded by police in 2024, and charges were brought in 2.7% of those cases.	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The victims minister told Sky News that a whole-system approach is needed, calling violence against women and girls a national epidemic and national emergency, and said prevention must be central to the strategy.	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News
The government announced a national task force aimed at reducing misogyny over the weekend.	Reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
The courts and tribunals bill, which aims to speed up cases and includes measures to restrict jury trials, will return to the Commons next month.	Reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
Burnham had reservations about changing the jury system when he came to office.	Reported by ITV	Not reported by Sky News
Charities including Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the reforms.	Not reported by ITV	Reported by Sky News

This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.