Page 22 Daily Mail, Thursday, August 29, 2019
and published by Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Constabulary and
Fire and Rescue Services.
The data was recorded by bodies
including the Home Office, Office
for National Statistics, Crown Pros-
ecution Service and the Ministry of
Justice – covering all 43 police forces
in England and Wales and the Brit-
ish Transport Police.
Figures show that in 2012/13
there were 16,374 reports of rape,
more than trebling to 54,045 in
2017/2018. In the last year, some
11,913 alleged attacks were not
recorded as crimes, an increase
from 8,624 the year before.
The number of cases referred by
the police to the Crown Prosecution
Service for a charging decision has
fallen slightly, from 6,606 to 6,012.
A sharp rise in reports of rape has
previously been linked to high pro-
file sex abuse scandals – such as the
one involving Jimmy Savile –
appearing in the media. Experts
have said it spurred more people to
report crimes against them.
Rebecca Hitchen, from the End
Violence Against Women Coalition
campaign group, said the figures are
‘truly shocking’ and show ‘just how
broken the system is’. She added:
‘This is a crisis and it needs the
highest level of political attention.’
Inspector of Constabulary Wendy
Williams, chairman of the RMG,
said: ‘Rape is one of the most seri-
ous crimes dealt with by the crimi-
nal justice system.
‘It is therefore vital that informa-
tion and statistics about rape are
made as transparent as possible.
We hope [the data] will help police
and prosecutors to improve their
work to provide justice for victims.’‘How can this
be justice?’
Rape claims
up by a third
... but just 1
in 50 lead to
conviction
RAPISTS can act without
fear of being punished as just
one in 50 reports result in a
conviction, the Victims’ Com-
missioner has warned.
Dame Vera Baird slammed
failings in the justice system as
official figures showed that
reports of rape have more than
trebled in six years.
They have risen by 31 per cent in
the last year alone – from 41,186 to
54,045 – however the rate resulting
in charges being brought has fallen
from 6.8 per cent to 4.2 per cent.
As well as this, fewer rape suspects
are being convicted – just 1,062
compared to 1,350 the previous year.
Dame Vera said the Government
needs to ‘act quickly’ in its review of
how rape complaints are handled.
She said that the criminal justice
system is ‘letting down’ victims –By Jemma Buckley
Crime Correspondentand creating new victims by ‘failing
to tackle potential serial rapists.’
She said: ‘More complainants are
coming forward, but fewer cases are
being prosecuted and only one in
every 50 cases is resulting in a con-
viction. How can this be justice?
‘These figures show that perpetra-
tors can act without fear of being
held to account. Many will go on to
commit further offences.
‘We know that nearly four in five
victims of sexual assault choose not
to report the crimes. How can we
give these victims the confidence to
report when so few cases ever secure
a conviction?’
The figures have been gathered by
the Rape Monitoring Group (RMG)Mother dies after ‘drink driver’
mows down her tent on campsite
By Liz Hull
Horror: The Rhyd y Galen Camping and Caravan Park where tragedy struckVictim: Anna Evans was hit while she sleptA MOTHER left fighting for her life
after a suspected drink driver ploughed
into her tent on a campsite has died.
Artist Anna Evans, 46, suffered critical
injuries when a car ran over sleeping holi-
daymakers at the park in Snowdonia,
north Wales, ten days ago.
Yesterday North Wales police confirmed
the mother-of-two had died at the Royal
Stoke University Hospital, Staffordshire,
on Tuesday evening.
Writing on Facebook, her heartbroken
son, Richard Evans, 23, described Mrs
Evans as ‘the most amazing woman I’ve
ever known’. He said saying goodbye to
her in hospital was ‘one of the hardest
things I’ve ever had to do.’
He added: ‘She was my mother, my best
friend, my rock and I’m going to miss her
so, so much... I love you, Mam. I hope
you’re dreaming of a starry night.’ Mrs
Evans, from Aberystwyth, worked at the
town’s arts centre and was married to
Huw Evans, 57, a groundsman at Aberyst-
wyth University. He and two other people
were hurt in the incident, but have been
released from hospital.
Mr and Mrs Evans were asleep in their
tent at the Rhyd Y Galen Camping and
Caravan Park, near Caernarfon, when theirtent was hit by a Subaru Impreza sports
car at 2am on August 19.
Jake Waterhouse, 26, of Partington,
Greater Manchester, admitted four
charges of causing serious injury by dan-
gerous driving, driving without a licence or
insurance and failing to provide a breath
specimen at Llandudno Magistrates last
week. He is also accused of dangerous
driving and could now face more charges.