The Victims Commissioner has published new research exposing the devastating toll of court delays on victims, victims’ services, and the wider criminal justice system. The report reveals the human cost of lengthy waits on victims’ everyday lives, warning delays may drive many to give up on justice altogether.

It comes as court delays have reached the highest level on record, with 73,105 outstanding cases, according to the latest figures.

Responding to the report, Katie Kempen, Chief Executive at Victim Support said:

“This critical report reflects the picture from frontline victims services – staggering court delays are causing untold suffering and depriving victims of justice. These record delays are also putting extreme pressure on support providers, inflating demand for services which are already at capacity. Support in the run up to court is vital, helping victims cope with a spectrum of fraught emotions and keeping them engaged in the criminal justice process. Managing this sensitively, and preparing victims for trial, takes an enormous amount of time. When trials are cancelled, these services are relied on to catch victims and deliver this support all over again.

“All the while the demand for victims’ services continues to grow. Not only has funding not increased to meet demand, it has been cut. This simply isn’t sustainable. Even if meaningful action is taken now, the court crisis will take years to resolve. Our recent report, Suffering for Justice, showed support is a lifeline for victims navigating a broken criminal justice system. They cannot be left to go it alone – as the Victims’ Commissioner rightly warns – many would simply not continue. These services are vital – the government must reverse cuts and increase funding to cover the National Insurance rise.”