Sexual Offences: Victims

This Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of sexual violence can get the justice they deserve. On 18 December 2025, we published our VAWG Strategy; ‘Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, which sets out how we will support victims and halve VAWG over the next decade.

The Ministry of Justice is supporting victims with the largest ever investment of over £550 million in victim support services over the next three years. This includes funding for Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales to commission support services for victims of all crime types, including sexual violence. We provide funding for the National 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, and to over 60 specialist organisations through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, helping victims to cope with their experiences and move forward with their lives. We have also recently announced a further £18.9 million investment to support victims affected by the Progression Model. This includes a new national helpline and more funding for local and specialist services, including a specialist VAWG programme.

To improve timeliness for victims whose cases are before the court we have funded record numbers of sitting days in the Crown Court and introduced essential criminal court reforms through the Courts and Tribunals Bill. This action will improve timeliness in the Crown Court and speed up justice for all victims, including victims of rape.

We are ensuring that victims’ rights are upheld by introducing a package of court measures to protect victims, particularly of sexual offences, from unnecessary and intrusive cross-examination about their personal lives. We will also roll out a free Independent Legal Advisor service for victims of adult rape, have enabled access to free transcripts of sentencing remarks for victims of rape and other sex offences whose cases are heard at the Crown Court, and have rolled out trauma informed training to all HMCTS court staff so that victims at court are treated with care and respect.