Figures prompt warnings that lack of investment is hampering drives to tackle low conviction rates in rape cases
The backlog of adult rape cases in crown courts in England and Wales has risen to almost four times the level it was in 2019.
There was a record backlog of 2,210 adult rape cases in the first quarter of the year, compared with 576 in the equivalent period four years ago, according to analysis by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) of official statistics published on Thursday.
