Specialist courts for rape cases to be rolled out across England and Wales

Specialist courts to handle cases of rape and other sexual offences will be introduced across England and Wales over the next two years, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced.

Each crown court will be equipped with at least one courtroom dedicated to hearing such cases.

They will offer victims private entrances and waiting rooms to separate them from defendants, and there will be new training for court staff and fixed dates for trials.

Rape Crisis England and Wales welcomed the measures, which are expected to cost around £23m, as a "significant step forward" for the justice system that addressed a number of reforms it had been requesting for many years.

"Taken together, they reflect the urgency of ensuring that courts are fit for purpose and properly meet the needs of victims and survivors, which is crucial to securing justice," said the charity's chief executive, Ciara Bergman.

The government said the changes follow Labour MP Charlotte Nichols showing "immense strength and bravery" in speaking publicly about being raped and calling for changes to the justice system.

Nichols waived her automatic right to anonymity in March when she made a Commons speech and described having to wait more than 1,000 days to go to court.

Under the new measures, to be funded out of the Ministry of Justice budget, court staff will be given "trauma-informed training" and a single person of contact will be assigned to each survivor.

From next month, trials will be given a fixed date rather than placed on floating lists in what Burnham said was an effort to "rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first".

Earlier this year, the government announced that rape victims would be given access to specialist legal advice throughout the criminal justice process.

Labour promised in its 2024 manifesto to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

"For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system," Burnham said.

"Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice. This is not good enough."

The changes were "long overdue" and would make a "significant difference" but focusing on prosecution alone would not be enough, he added.