Rape victims to get specialised legal advice in courts

Rape victims will be given access to specialist legal advice throughout the criminal justice process, the government has announced.

The reforms will also expand the principles of Operation Soteria into courtrooms, aiming to ensure the trial focuses on the suspect's behaviour rather than scrutinising victims.

Announcing the scheme on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the plans were part of "rebalancing the system to put victims first".

The new national Independent Legal Advisor (ILA) service will help victims understand their rights and challenge unnecessary requests for personal information.

Lammy added: "For too long victims of rape have faced not only the trauma of the crime but the trauma of a justice process that can feel like it is judging them instead of pursuing the perpetrator."

Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) also welcomed the announcement and said "systemic changes such as those announced today are important and urgent".

The group said the impact of the criminal justice system on victims can be "devastating" and that many often experience "over-zealous and intrusive questioning".

According to the latest government data, 57% adult rape investigations were closed between October 2024 and September 2025 between the stages of a crime being recorded and a police decision being made because the victim did not support police action.

Across the same time period, 19% cases were stopped after a defendant had been charged because the victim no longer supported or was unable to support a prosecution.

RCEW's interim head of Policy and Public Affairs, Maxime Rowson, told the BBC: "We don't know exactly why each one [withdraws from the judicial process] and there's still no data on that but we do know the issues that are faced by survivors - intrusive police investigations, requests for personal information and court backlogs are all contributing."

Rowson added there has been some "real improvements" as part of Operation Soteria so far but that the situation in courtrooms needs attention.

She said that as well as unnecessary requests for personal information, the new legal advisers might be able to help with a range of situations including where the CPS is looking at taking no further action on a case or where victim bad character evidence is being considered.

The new scheme is backed by £6m of initial funding over two years and will provide victims with specialist legal advice throughout investigations and prosecutions.

It is set to be launched later this year.

Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman said although there were some positive changes as a result of Operation Soteria being rolled out across policing and prosecution, victims still need further support.

Operation Soteria was launched as a pilot scheme in 2021 to improve the handling of rape investigations by police. It was later expanded across all police forces in England and Wales in 2023.

One of its key aims was to prioritise evidence about the suspect's behaviour and patterns and ensure victims only receive requests for personal information when it has substantial value to the case.

Waxman said some victims were still having to navigate complicated legal requests and received requests for information including their mobile phones, therapy notes and medical records.

She added that many victims have found their experience through the criminal justice system "so stressful and daunting", with some describing parts of the process as "brutal".