According to the British Crime Survey one in twenty women has been raped. Not many of those report the crime and when cases do reach court, only six per cent of reported rapes result in successful convictions. In March this year the Government launched a consultation exercise, looking at how to improve the legal system and increase conviction rates. The Government is set to respond in the New Year and set out the next steps for reform. Today we look at what proposals are likely to be on the table, and at the radical ideas that some argue should be at the top of the agenda. Should the crime of rape be scrapped altogether and replaced with a series of violent assault charges? Should we tackle the stigma that comes from the special victim status of rape victims? Or should we lower the burden of evidence required to secure a conviction and encourage more women to seek justice through the civil courts? Martha talks to Professor Joanne Conaghan from the AHRC Research Centre for Law, Gender and Sexuality at the University of Kent and to barrister Christina Gorna.
