Across England and Wales, the machinery of justice is being quietly reshaped around those it has most often failed. The government's announcement of specialist rape courts — with private entrances, video testimony, trauma-trained staff, and fixed trial dates — is an acknowledgment that the courtroom itself can be a site of harm, not only of reckoning. Catalysed by Labour MP Charlotte Nichols, who named herself and her 1,088-day wait in Parliament, the £23 million reform arrives against a backdrop of record backlogs and a prosecution system that has driven many victims to withdraw before their
England and Wales to establish specialist rape courts with victim protections
Rape and sexual assault victims have experienced severe mental health impacts from court delays, with some withdrawing cases after years of waiting for trial.