Jade McCrossen-Nethercott's successful lawsuit against the CPS highlights critical flaws in its handling of victims' rights and underscores urgent calls for reform in prosecution policies.
Days before the trial, McCrossen-Nethercott was informed of the CPS's decision to drop her case. She then invoked her victims' right to review (VRR), asserting that her case warranted prosecution. The ARU ultimately agreed that the decision to drop her case was misguided, indicating a failure on the part of the CPS to adequately evaluate the evidence, especially regarding the defendant's sleepwalking defense.
The CPS policy to drop cases prematurely, as illustrated in McCrossen-Nethercott's case, results in operations that undermine victims' rights and exacerbate feelings of betrayal among victims, exposing them to further suffering without accountability for the accused.
Minister for safeguarding, Jess Phillips, emphasized the shocking reality that, in instances of prosecutorial errors, victims can expect nothing more than a mere letter of apology, thereby illuminating the inadequacy and profound unfairness of CPS's existing policies regarding victim rights.
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