Figures for first three months of pandemic reflect growing court backlog exacerbated by Covid lockdowns and social distancing
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Prosecutions for crimes against women and girls plummeted in the first three months of the coronavirus pandemic, reflecting a backlog in the court system exacerbated by the UK-wide shutdown and subsequent social distancing measures.
Rape prosecutions more than halved, falling to 218 from 480 in the three months to June this year compared with the previous quarter, according to new violence against women and girls (VAWG) figures from the CPS. There were 174 convictions for rape down from 341 in the previous quarter.
