Sexual offences now represent a growing share of England and Wales' most severely delayed crown court cases. Nearly one in five backlog cases that had been open for at least two years as of June 2025 were sexual offences - a significant increase from previous years.
The proportion has risen sharply from 13% in June 2024 and 11% in June 2023. This marks the steepest category increase among long-delayed court cases, highlighting mounting pressures on the justice system's handling of sensitive crimes.
Record sexual offence delays
Some 1,070 cases involving sexual offences had been open for two years or more at the end of June, according to analysis of Ministry of Justice data. This represents the first time this figure has exceeded 1,000 since current records began in 2016.
The total has surged from 776 cases in June 2024 and 689 in 2023. Rape cases specifically numbered 431 with delays of at least two years, compared with 273 twelve months earlier and 261 in 2023.
Broader court backlog crisis
Violence against the person offences still constitute the largest single category of severely delayed cases, accounting for 25% of the two-year backlog in June. Drug offences made up 15% of the total, down from 18% in 2024 and 21% in 2023.
Overall, 5,913 crown court cases in England and Wales had been open for at least two years as of 30 June. A record 19,164 cases had been open for at least one year, underlining the scale of court system pressures.
Impact on victims
Katie Kempen, chief executive of Victim Support, said the figures showed many victims are "waiting years for their case to come to trial, their lives on hold while they are denied access to justice". She added: "These are not just statistics - they are real people, often struggling to cope, losing faith in the system, and facing serious emotional and psychological consequences."
Kempen warned that vital victims' services have faced devastating funding cuts whilst delays continue mounting. She said: "The Government cannot allow the backlog to continue growing, while cutting funding for the very services which support victims through the process."
Government response pending
Ministers are due to respond this autumn to findings from a courts system review led by Sir Brian Leveson. The review proposed reducing jury trials and creating a new type of crown court where judges hear trials instead of juries.
The review was commissioned to "reduce the risk of total system collapse" as court delays reach unprecedented levels across England and Wales.
Sources used: "PA Media", "Victim Support" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
