The It is likely that the number of rape victims will be able to provide evidence via video prior to a trial.
Dominic Raab is supporting the rollout rules that permit pre-recorded, videotaped testimony in order to lower crime conviction rates.
It saves the victims from suffering during live cross-examination, and could lead to more guilty pleas.
Pilot schemes have been in place in seven cities, and victims are already giving video evidence.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab (pictured) has signalled his support for a rollout of rules allowing pre-recorded video testimony before a trial begins
Next week’s announcement will announce an expansion of these schemes to all crown courts of England and Wales.
Unsettling figures revealed last month that 1.4% of all rape reports led to prosecution in the year to June.
Pre-recording video evidence was allowed by law under Section 28 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999. These laws were introduced more than twenty years ago.
They were rarely used before pilots started in 2019.
According to sources, Mr Raab supports Max Hill QC’s remarks, Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) who suggested earlier this week that people should not be allowed into courtrooms for rape cases more often, as per Section 25 of same Act.
Victims have been giving pre-trial video evidence in pilot schemes in seven locations and an announcement will set out an expansion of this to the majority of crown courts (file photo)
According to a senior Ministry of Justice source, “The DPP is absolutely right in that we need to make it as simple as possible for victims to give evidence.”
“The process shouldn’t add unnecessary stress to trauma and stress they already have experienced. Section 25 and Section 28 are key in this.
“Victims will benefit from these two tools being more widely used, which is something that we wish to see happen.”
Video evidence allows victims and witnesses to finish their parts of the proceeding far before the actual trial takes place.
Vera Baird, Victims Commissioner has supported the expansion of Section 28. She argued that Section 28 was necessary to stop increasing numbers of victims of rape ‘giving up the justice system and walking off’.
The NOV data revealed that the record number of reported rapes in England and Wales rose by 10% year-on-year, reaching 61,000 for the twelve months ending June.
However, a troubling trend was that the percentage of rape reports that led to a suspect being brought to trial fell to an all time low.
A mere 1.4% percent of reported rapes led to the arrest or summonsing of the suspect.