What work are you, the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) doing to reduce the number of victims that are giving up on pursuing prosecution for crimes that they experience?

MOPAC regularly convenes partners to look at recently commissioned research (such as the London Rape Review, and the London Victims’ Commissioner’s Review of Compliance with the Victims Code of Practice) exploring the drivers for victims disengaging from the criminal justice process and to agree meaningful actions to address this important issue.

In the face of the extensive backlog of cases in the Crown Courts, my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime convened partners to ensure all victims are being supported through the protracted delays in the courts. I have also lobbied Government to get the resources London needs to bring the backlog down. I am disappointed that our calls for a large‑scale secure facility in London to deal with more complex custodial cases has not been addressed.

I welcome the Government’s plans to extend the eligibility for recorded evidence and cross-examinations to take place before trial, thereby reducing the waiting time for vulnerable victims to give evidence at court. This is something that London’s Victims’ Commissioner, Claire Waxman, and I have lobbied the Government on for some time.