In 2026, victims have gained more rights than ever before, but the path to seeking justice has become increasingly challenging.
Having experienced relentless stalking over a span of twenty years, I intimately understand the distress of being let down by the very system designed to protect individuals. This personal journey has profoundly influenced both my life and career.
My dedication to amplifying the voices of victims led me to advocate for significant changes, such as the enactment of the Victims and Prisoners Act. These hard-fought victories were crucial in formally establishing the rights of victims in legal statutes.
Transitioning into my new role as Victims’ Commissioner, I am acutely aware that mere rights on paper are insufficient. While legislation can guarantee access to justice and assistance, it is only through a well-functioning court system that these promises can be realized.
The general expectation is straightforward: following a crime, one reports it, and the system intervenes. People anticipate a process that is prompt, equitable, and supportive. However, the reality in 2026 is starkly different. Being a victim today means finding yourself in a waiting room the moment you report a crime – a holding space that only heightens anxiety and trauma.
Despite assuming that as a victim, you are central to the case, the overwhelmed system often relegates you to a bystander role. Months pass with no updates, and while specialized support services offer commendable assistance in holding victims together, they cannot substitute the absence of a court date.
I have witnessed victims facing trial dates scheduled as far out as 2030. The excruciating wait victims endure is compounded by ongoing uncertainty, postponed hearings, and the inability to recover from their trauma due to the prolonged legal process.
Considering the Sentencing Bill’s proposal to reduce jail time further, victims awaiting their day in court for years may understandably question if they are inadvertently serving the sentence, not the offender.
The consequence is sadly foreseeable. Victims opt to walk away as the physical and emotional toll of waiting becomes unbearable. The cost of seeking justice – years of suspended life – proves too burdensome.
As London’s Victims’ Commissioner, I previously cautioned that years of insufficient funding and neglect were pushing the system to its breaking point. Presently, we are grappling with the repercussions, with the case backlog soaring to nearly 80,000 – double the pre-pandemic figures. This backlog signifies 80,000 lives put on pause.
Numerous cases dating back to the previous decade remain unresolved. Children have matured into adults, lives have been irreversibly altered, all while awaiting their day in court. Without decisive action, estimates suggest a backlog of 125,000 cases by the end of this Parliament – a severe dereliction of responsibility.
Given the enormity of the challenge, maintaining the status quo is no longer feasible. Sir Brian Leveson’s evaluation of the court system concluded that minor adjustments will not suffice given its broken state. Simply increasing funding and hoping for the best is inadequate; the time for temporary solutions has passed.
In response, the government has proposed radical changes, including the possibility of judge-only trials to circumvent the gridlock. While these suggestions challenge long-standing traditions and will likely spark heated debates, we must confront a harsh reality: a court system that compels a rape survivor to wait five years or more for justice is fundamentally flawed. This is justice only in name.
The current situation is unsustainable, and every day of delay results in a lengthening queue and more victims abandoning hope, leaving offenders free to act with impunity. It is imperative that we address this crisis without further delay.
In the upcoming months, discussions will center on legal precedents and courtroom procedures. My role is to ensure that amid these essential deliberations on tradition and process, the voice of the victim remains prominent.
Every proposal will undergo scrutiny based on a single criterion: does it expedite effective justice for those impacted by crime? The human toll of this crisis cannot be overlooked. If the journey to the courtroom shatters the victim, then the system has failed.
We must cease expecting the impossible from victims and instead deliver a trustworthy system in which they can place their faith – one that functions seamlessly in practice, not just in theory.