A survey of nearly 500 survivors of rape, undertaken by the Victims’ Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, has highlighted just 14% believed they would receive justice by reporting the crime to the police.

The survey by Vera Baird gives a rare insight into the impact of rape in England and Wales and how it is prosecuted. It also found that about a third of the respondents had not reported what had happened to them to police, with 95% of those saying they had not done so because they did not think they would be believed.

Dame Vera says:

“The government’s Review’s team took the surprising decision not to seek the views of those who really matter – rape survivors. As Victims Commissioner, I believed it was imperative that the victims’ voice be heard. We placed a questionnaire on our website and were overwhelmed by the response – nearly 500 survivors took part and shared their experience of the justice system with us.

“On every page of this report, the victims’ voice can be heard loud and clear and the findings speak for themselves.”