Conviction rates for rape in England, Wales fall in 2013-2014 from all-time high
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Conviction rates for domestic violence rose for the third year in a row to reach an all-time high in England and Wales, but convictions rates for rape fell, the region's top prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Figures published by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) show that 58,276 defendants or 74.6 percent of those prosecuted for domestic violence were convicted in 2013-2014, compared with 74.3 percent in 2012-2013. Domestic violence accounts for more than 10 percent of cases brought by the CPS.
The CPS said overall prosecutions for violence against women and girls - which includes domestic violence, rape, stalking, harassment, forced marriage, honour-based violence, female genital mutilation and trafficking - rose by 11 percent in 2013-2014.
"Three quarters of people who are prosecuted for domestic violence offences are now convicted. What's more, nine in ten of the domestic violence convictions arise from guilty pleas meaning that the vast majority of victims are spared having to give evidence in court," Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders said in a statement.
CPS figures showed the conviction rate for rape fell to 60.3 percent in 2013-2014 from a high of 63.2 percent in the previous year.
The drop prompted the CPS and police to announce last month an action plan aimed at making sure rape investigations focused on the behaviour of the accused, not the credibility of the victim.
Polly Neate, the chief executive of Women's Aid, welcomed the CPS report, saying: "It is vital that women experiencing abuse feel confident that they will be taken seriously and supported by the criminal justice system."
In March a survey of violence against women in the European Union's 28 member states showed that 44 percent of women in Britain have suffered some form of violence in their lifetimes, compared with 52 percent in Denmark and 19 percent in Poland.
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