Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice

Public inquiry into the drop in prosecutions for rape and other sexual offences

Closed 634 signatures

What the petition asks

Examine:
- the number, handling and outcomes of all sexual offences reported to the police
- evidence of the number of offences not reported to the police and why they are not
- why serious offences are not always being referred for Early Investigative Advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.
The shocking decline in the number of rape and other sexual offence prosecutions is a National Emergency. Convictions too often result in lenient punishments. Confidence in the police and process from many victims is particularly low. For the number of rapes and sexual offences reported, larger numbers are not reported in part due to lack of confidence in the police and justice system. Unless CPS referral has been made, a victim's right to review request is considered by another police officer of the same force, albeit one who is independent of the case. This is a concern for victims.

Timeline

28 Apr 2021 Petition opened for signatures
28 Oct 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 634
Status Closed
Department Ministry of Justice
Opened 28 Apr 2021
Closed 28 Oct 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.