Specialist rape courts to be rolled out with trauma‑informed support

Specialist courts to be rolled out with trauma-informed support

England and Wales will introduce specialist crown court courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offences over the next two years, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced, with measures including private entrances and waiting rooms for victims, fixed trial dates and trauma-informed training for court staff.

Each crown court will have at least one dedicated courtroom aimed at separating victims from defendants and providing a single point of contact for survivors, the government said. The roll‑out follows Labour MP Charlotte Nichols going public about being raped and waiving her automatic anonymity earlier in the year.

The measures, funded from the Ministry of Justice budget and estimated to cost around £23m, also set out to give victims access to specialist legal advice throughout the criminal justice process and to replace floating trial lists with fixed hearing dates from next month.

Burnham said prosecution rates for rape remained low and that the changes sought to put victims first, while Rape Crisis England and Wales described the package as a significant step in meeting survivors’ needs. The government credited Nichols’ public testimony about waiting more than 1,000 days for court as a catalyst for the reforms.

Nichols told MPs she had waited 1,088 days for her case to reach court, describing the delay as agonising and exacerbating trauma; her attacker was acquitted in criminal court but later ordered to pay compensation after a civil ruling, she said.

Opposition figures welcomed moves to tackle trial delays but urged Labour to commit to keeping courts sitting year‑round and to retain jury trial rights, arguing victims were withdrawing cases because of lengthy waits. Charities including the Salford Survivor Project have highlighted that court backlogs and long delays have harmed victims’ mental health and led some to drop cases.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The announcement details the creation of specialist courtrooms, private facilities for victims, trauma‑informed staff training, a single contact for survivors and fixed trial dates. The reforms are funded from the Ministry of Justice with an estimated cost of £23m. Government action follows Charlotte Nichols’ public account of a 1,088‑day wait for her criminal trial.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• Specialist crown court courtrooms for rape and serious sexual offences will be introduced across England and Wales over two years.
• Measures include private entrances, waiting rooms for victims, trauma‑informed training, a single survivor contact and fixed trial dates.
• The package is funded from the Ministry of Justice, estimated at around £23m, and follows public accounts by MP Charlotte Nichols of lengthy trial delays.