Specialist rape courts rolled out across the country
Victims of rape and sexual offences will get the justice they deserve, as their cases take priority and new specialist courts are rolled out across England and Wales, the Prime Minister has announced today. From:Ministry of Justice, The Rt Hon Alex Norris MP and The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MPPublished:21 September 2026
- Courtrooms for specialist rape and serious sex offences to be rolled out across every Crown Court in England and Wales
- Rape cases will be prioritised in the courts, tackling uncertainty and delays for survivors, with specialist upgrades introduced, including private waiting rooms and entrances for victims
- New approach will put victims front and centre of the criminal justice system
Backed by a multi-million cash injection, every Crown Court in England and Wales will get at least one courtroom especially set up to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years, helping to hold more perpetrators to account.
Transforming how the justice system treats the survivors of some of the most serious crimes, the changes are designed to encourage more victims to come forward, providing them with private entrances and waiting rooms as well as facilities equipped to pre-record evidence and observe sentencing remotely.
Rape and serious sexual offence cases will also now be prioritised in courts. These trials will be given a fixed date as opposed to being placed on floating lists where they can be moved at short notice and delayed by many months.
For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt they were navigating a system that did not consider their needs for tailored support. In 2025, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the Crown Court, with too many victims withdrawing before their case was heard.
Today’s changes will mean victims get better support and face fewer delays, as the government continues to take decisive action to tackle violence against women and girls and deliver the justice that victims deserve.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:
For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system. Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice.
This is not good enough. That’s why we are making major changes to rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first. This includes rolling out specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sex offences.
These changes are long overdue and will make a significant difference, but focusing on prosecution alone will not be enough. So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place.
Lord Chancellor Alex Norris said:
Victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt they’ve been left alone facing the criminal justice system for too long. They have been treated as cases to process and not as people to support.
The funding we are announcing today will provide that support that victims deserve – delivering courtrooms that are designed with victim needs in mind and providing specialist training for staff to handle these cases with care.
Real action to improve our courts. Real action for victims. Real action to deliver the justice they deserve.
The changes announced today will also see all court staff get trauma-informed training and a trial to give victims of sex offences a single point of contact to ensure their needs are met during the court process. The new measures also include a new Rape Justice Taskforce, drawing leaders from across the criminal justice system to tackle the rising rate of postponed rape trials and confront the myths that cause victims to withdraw from their own cases.
The changes follow Charlotte Nichols showing immense strength and bravery in coming forward to tell her own story, calling for these crucial measures to support victims and ensure they receive the justice they deserve.
Ciara Bergman, CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales says:
This important package of measures represents a significant step forward for our justice system, and includes many of the reforms that Rape Crisis England & Wales have been calling for over many years. Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims and survivors, which is crucial to securing justice.
We’re particularly pleased to see measures that will improve trial efficiency and ensure survivors are better able to participate in, and observe, proceedings. The recognition that suitable separate waiting areas, entrances and exits are essential to prevent survivors from being intimidated and distressed by the presence of perpetrators and their supporters is also significant. This welcome change is both necessary and long overdue.
Today’s announcement builds on the Government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and make sure the justice system put victims front and centre.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister announced that by the end of 2027, all police forces in England and Wales will have dedicated rape and sexual offence investigation teams, helping to make sure more criminal cases are prosecuted.
Since coming into office, the government has pledged over £1 billion to support victims of violence against women and girls, announced plans to place domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms across every police force in England and Wales, and is rolling out new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to provide victims with protection for as long as needed.
The government has also committed to use every lever at its disposal to drive down the backlog of victims waiting years for justice through the Courts and Tribunals Bill, which is set to return to Parliament in October.
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