The Crown Prosecution Service has been criticised by inspectors for its early handling of rape cases in a new report that suggests prosecutors are focusing on victims' credibility but not suspects' behaviours and actions.

Publishing the findings of HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate's latest review, chief inspector Anthony Rogers said the CPS's handling of rape claims at the pre-charge stage was 'not good enough'.

A 'national operating model' introduced in 2023 requires prosecutors to take a ‘suspect-centric approach’, analysing a suspect’s behaviours and actions before, during and after the alleged assault. Only 23% of cases reviewed by inspectors fully met the standard for demonstrating a suspect-centric approach; 38% failed to meet the standard.

Prosecutors ‘were not subjecting the suspect’s actions and account to sufficient critical scrutiny when analysing and evaluating the evidence with a continued focus on interrogating victim credibility over the suspect’s behaviour’, the report said.

Stephen Parkinson

Director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson has pledged to address 'unacceptable inconsistencies'

Read more

Inspectors found ‘a failure to recognise the wider context of coercive control and abusive behaviour within which the rape had occurred’. Prosecutors found it ‘less easy’ to demonstrate a suspect-centred approach in domestic abuse situations.

‘For example, in a domestic abuse case where the victim reported that she had been raped on multiple occasions by her husband, the case analysis failed to rationally assess what could be described as grooming behaviour on the part of the suspect during the marriage. There was a greater focus on the credibility of the victim which led to a superficial application of the suspect-centric approach,’ the report said.

Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said the CPS fully accepted the report’s conclusions and recommendations, and is implementing an action plan.

Parkinson was pleased that inspectors found at least one charge of rape or attempted rape was brought in every case they examined, and that appropriate charges were selected in the majority of cases. ‘However, improving how we prosecute rape is my priority and I will focus on the quality of our case analysis and strategy, better support for victims and addressing unacceptable inconsistencies,’ he added.