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A gap or a chasm?: Attrition in reported rape cases
Home Office Research Study 293. ISSN 0072 6435.
Abstract: The study found that approximately 25 percent of reported rape cases were determined to be “no crime.” The vast majority of cases did not proceed beyond the investigative stage, and the conviction rate for all reported cases was 8 percent. Seventy-five percent of the overall sample of rape cases were reported to the police. Cases that involved alleged perpetrators known to the alleged victims were least likely to be reported. The majority of cases reported to the police were made within 24 hours of the alleged offense. Evidential issues accounted for just over one-third of the cases dismissed at the investigative stage. In a substantial number of dismissed cases, the decision not to proceed was linked to victim credibility. Only a small proportion of reported cases were discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service; however, this does not accurately reflect prosecutors’ involvement in decision making at the investigative stage. Only 14 percent of the cases reached the trial stage, and approximately half of all convictions resulted from guilty pleas. Acquittal was the more likely outcome from full trials. One recommendation is to provide guidance to the police about the timing and content of information provided to complainants about the legal process and the likelihood of a conviction. A second recommendation is to develop proactive follow-up of all complainants who report rape to the police, either through SARCs and/or rape crisis centers. Other recommendations are designed to improve the criminal justice management of rape cases. 8 figures, 6 tables, and 42 references
Abstract: The study found that approximately 25 percent of reported rape cases were determined to be “no crime.” The vast majority of cases did not proceed beyond the investigative stage, and the conviction rate for all reported cases was 8 percent. Seventy-five percent of the overall sample of rape cases were reported to the police. Cases that involved alleged perpetrators known to the alleged victims were least likely to be reported. The majority of cases reported to the police were made within 24 hours of the alleged offense. Evidential issues accounted for just over one-third of the cases dismissed at the investigative stage. In a substantial number of dismissed cases, the decision not to proceed was linked to victim credibility. Only a small proportion of reported cases were discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service; however, this does not accurately reflect prosecutors’ involvement in decision making at the investigative stage. Only 14 percent of the cases reached the trial stage, and approximately half of all convictions resulted from guilty pleas. Acquittal was the more likely outcome from full trials. One recommendation is to provide guidance to the police about the timing and content of information provided to complainants about the legal process and the likelihood of a conviction. A second recommendation is to develop proactive follow-up of all complainants who report rape to the police, either through SARCs and/or rape crisis centers. Other recommendations are designed to improve the criminal justice management of rape cases. 8 figures, 6 tables, and 42 references
120 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2005
3 people want to read
About the author
Liz Kelly
26 books10 followersLiz Kelly is Professor of Sexualised Violence at London Metropolitan University, where she is also Director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU). She has been active in the field of violence against women and children for almost 30 years.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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