Missing evidence led to 16 homicides in England and Wales not going to trial

Exclusive: Figures for 2021-22 raise concerns about police handling of crucial material used to prosecute the most serious crimes

Prosecutions involving more than a dozen homicides and more than 100 sexual offences collapsed before trial in England and Wales last year as a result of lost or missing evidence, the Guardian has learned.

The findings, obtained by a freedom of information (FoI) request by criminal justice researchers, raise concerns about police handling of crucial evidence used to prosecute the most serious crimes, such as DNA samples, CCTV footage, weapons, drugs and mobile phone data.