Child sex abuse victims face agonisingly long waits' for justice

"No-one should have to face agonisingly long waits for their case to go to court and reach a resolution, but this is especially true for child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation. Not only do these waits cause significant anxiety and worry for children who have already experienced serious trauma, but they can also delay young victims from being able to access the support they need to start to recover from abuse."

"Victims of child sex abuse are facing agonisingly long waits to get justice with almost 7,000 cases stuck in the court system, according to a new study. The NSPCC said the number of child sexual abuse and exploitation offence cases awaiting trial, being tried, or awaiting sentencing has risen by 9 per cent in a year. The charity found there were 6,989 cases in the system across England and Wales in the year to March, up from 6,399 in the 12 months to March 2024."

There were 6,989 child sexual abuse and exploitation offence cases in the court system across England and Wales in the year to March, up from 6,399 the previous 12 months. Victims waited an average of 10 months from charge to case completion, with rape cases involving 13- to 15-year-olds averaging around 18 months. Lengthy delays increase anxiety and compound trauma for child victims while delaying access to therapeutic and specialist support. Urgent action is needed to tackle court backlogs, reduce delays for young victims, and ensure investment in therapeutic services and local commissioning of specialist support.

Read at www.independent.co.uk