Top News

Delays in rape trials have been worsened by a "huge backlog" in getting specialist video interviews with alleged victims transcribed.

The Crown Prosecution Service admitted it has been unable to overcome the problem described as "lamentable" by a crown court judge who complained the transcript for the alleged victim's interview in a high-profile rape case was months overdue.

This has compounded an existing problem of delayed rape trials, with many victims already waiting two years for cases to be heard, and risks more victims dropping out of the process, according to survivor groups.

Details of the serious delays in obtaining transcripts emerged at the plea hearing of celebrity peer Lord Charles Brocket, 74, who is charged with five sexual offences against the same woman.

The former contestant on reality TV show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, recently appeared at Isleworth Crown Court charged with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one of sexual activity without consent against the same woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at an address in London between August 9 and 11 last year.

He denied all the charges with a seven-day trial set for November 1, 2027.

During the hearing, Judge Martin Edmunds KC, the Recorder for Kensington and Chelsea, raised serious concerns about delays with transcripts for victims' interviews after warning the CPS it was in breach of a court order to provide them months ago.

Brocket had been due to enter his pleas last September but the case was adjourned while awaiting the transcript.

The judge expressed his annoyance that the evidence was still unavailable for the latest hearing despite court orders having been made.

In response prosecutor Charlotte Newell said the transcription service has been outsourced and there is a huge backlog.

Requests for the transcript were made last October, November and again in February, but it has not yet been provided.

A spokeswoman for campaign group Women Against Rape said: "It's appalling that rape trials are delayed by incompetent preparation of evidence. Long delays cause 79% of rape victims to drop out."

By the end of last year the crown court backlog of cases had risen to more than 80,000 with about 16% of these being sexual offence cases.

Since 2021 adult alleged victims in rape trials have been able to apply to have the cross examination of their evidence pre-recorded, so they do not have to go through the often harrowing ordeal of doing this live in the courtroom.

If approved by a judge, their evidence and any cross-examination are video recorded, in what is known as an Achieving Best Evidence (AB) interview. This recording can then be played to the jury during the trial instead of requiring the alleged victim to testify live.

But transcripts of the video evidence are supposed to be provided to the defence well in advance of the trial so they can review them to raise any issues at the earliest opportunity.

A CPS spokesperson said they were unable to provide details of how many rape trials have been impacted by the ABE transcript delays.

He said: "We outlined in court that we've been pushing for this since October. Based on this we are clearly doing what we can.

"This work is outsourced via a government tender process. Currently, the CPS utilises three external companies for its transcription services.

"Naturally, the backlog in criminal cases in England and Wales has an impact on demand for these services and we are aware of the impact such delays have.

"As a result, we are looking to appoint three additional new suppliers for our transcription service requirements - meaning we hope to have a total of six. We hope that these new providers will be in post in the coming months, subject to final agreements.

"We are also looking into strategic changes which can streamline the transcription process with partners as all external services must be subject to security clearance processes."

Brocket finished fourth in the 2004 series of I'm a Celeb won by former pop star Kerry Katona and published his autobiography Call Me Charlie in September of that year.

The 3rd Baron Brocket and son of the late Ronald Nall-Cain and Elizabeth Trotter gained his title aged just 15 and inherited the rundown Brocket Hall in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, upon the death of his grandfather Arthur Nall-Cain, as his father had died when he was nine.