More rape cases reaching court in England and Wales after years of decline

Police referred 14% more cases to CPS in 2021-22 than in previous year, and more suspects were charged

Police and prosecutors are driving up the number of rape cases reaching courts in England and Wales in a reversal to previous trends, after a landmark government review promised sweeping reform of how the crime is treated.

Referrals, charges and prosecutions of rape increased in the year ending March 2022, up from a series of record lows in 2019, 2020 and 2021, according to figures from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).