Make Rape Prosecutions and Convictions a Priority in UK Law

Rejected 9 signatures

What the petition asks

Rape is a serious violent crime in England and Wales, only a small proportion of reported cases result in charge or prosecution.
Many survivors face :long delays, cases dropped without explanation, and a lack of faith in the justice system, fear, trauma, & previous experiences of being ignored.

We call on the UK Government to:
Make rape investigations and prosecutions a clear priority for police & prosecutors
Improve charge & conviction rates through better forensic investigation, evidence handling, and specialist victim support
Review sentencing guidelines to ensure penalties reflect the severity and lifelong impact of rape
Ensure timely investigations and trials so survivors are not subjected to prolonged trauma
Invest to encourage reporting and reduce stigma around sexual violence

Why it was rejected

It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.

We're not entirely clear what you are calling for that might not already be happening or just have happened recently:

CPS has made rape prosecutions a priority:
https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/cps-annual-rape-scrutiny-report-october-2025

Sentencing guidelines were toughened in 2023
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sentencing-bill-2023/sentencing-bill-factsheet-serious-sexual-offences-sentencing-and-release-arrangements

Timeline

17 Jan 2026	Petition opened for signatures
17 Feb 2026	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 9

Status Rejected

Rejected 17 Feb 2026

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