The average time taken for rape trials to reach a conclusion has risen to a record high under Labour.
For victims, the delays mean prolonged and distressing waits, as the Government faces mounting criticism over its response to the worsening court backlog.
Official figures published on Thursday showed that adult rape cases now take an average of 386 days to move through the court system from arrival to completion.
The figure, recorded in the second quarter of this year, was 61 days higher than when Labour came to power in July 2024. It also marked a 22-day increase compared with the first quarter of the year.
Separate data showed that the average wait from a rape suspect being charged to the conclusion of the court case had reached 409 days.
That was up from 384 days in the previous quarter and only just below the record of 416 days recorded in the second quarter of 2021, when the courts were still dealing with the effects of Covid pandemic shutdowns.
Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy said: ‘Labour have spent their time in office attacking our ancient right to trial by jury rather than taking action to tackle the courts crisis.
The court backlog has grown by nearly 100,000 cases since the 2024 general election, reaching a record high of more than 460,000
‘These record waiting times demonstrate that Labour have completely failed to bring the backlog under control, leaving rape victims facing agonising delays.
‘Labour must abandon its continued assault on jury trials and concentrate on improving efficiency, keeping courts open and reducing the backlog so justice can be delivered.’
Across all crime types, the average period from charge to case completion was 189 days, according to the latest figures.
That was an increase from 176 days immediately before the general election, although it remained below the peak of 222 days recorded at the end of 2021.
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Labour spent more than two years developing proposals to tackle the backlog, which has reached a record level of more than 80,000 cases in the Crown courts in England and Wales.
However, Prime Minister Andy Burnham abandoned the most controversial part of the plan last month.
The proposal would have removed jury trials in thousands of cases each year, replacing them with hearings before a judge sitting alone.
Labour is continuing with separate proposals for judge-only trials in ‘complex and lengthy cases’.
The measures will initially cover fraud cases. However, the Criminal Bar Association, which represents more than 3,000 defence barristers, has warned that they could eventually be expanded much further and lead to the creation of a ‘two-tier justice system’.
The court backlog has increased by nearly 100,000 cases since the general election, reaching a record total of more than 460,000.
At the end of June 2024, just days before Labour came to power, 80,829 cases were waiting to be heard in the Crown courts.
The backlog in the magistrates’ courts stood at 380,230, a 9 per cent rise over the previous year. Together, the two court systems had a backlog of 461,059 cases, an increase of 98,725.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘We inherited a criminal justice system on the brink, leaving victims of rape and serious sexual offences facing unacceptable delays and uncertainty as they wait for justice.
‘That is why we have announced a £23million package to support these victims, including dedicated courtrooms and specialist staff training, while investing at record levels and introducing reforms to tackle the Crown court backlog.
‘We are using the full power of the state to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.
‘We have accelerated the rollout of specialist rape and sexual assault teams to every police force, helping to support victims and bring offenders to justice.’
