Specialist rape courts to be rolled out in England and Wales

Specialist courts to deal with rape and sexual offences are to be introduced across England and Wales, the prime minister has said. <p>Every crown court will have at least one courtroom dedicated to such cases within the next two years.</p><p>There will also be a private entrance and waiting room to shield victims from the defendant. People can already request this, but it depends on availability.</p><p>Court staff will get "trauma-informed training", a single person of contact will be provided, and trials will be assigned a fixed date rather than put on a floating list.</p><p>Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the move - estimated to cost £23m - would "rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first" and was "long overdue".</p><p>"For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system," he said.</p><p>"Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice."</p><p>The government praised Labour MP Charlotte Nichols' "immense strength and bravery" in speaking about being raped and calling for changes to cut the backlog of cases.</p><p>Ms Nichols spoke in the Commons in March about having to <strong><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/labour-mp-says-her-rape-case-took-1-088-days-to-reach-court-13517887">wait more than 1,000 days for her case to be heard</a></strong>.</p><p>She thanked the prime minister and justice secretary and said the changes were a "hugely important milestone" that would make things easier for victims.</p><p>"I'm proud that substantive meaningful change has come from waiving my anonymity to speak about my own experiences," she added.</p><widget id="1"></widget><p>The courts pledge is one of a series of government announcements to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), something Labour has promised to halve within a decade.</p><p>The charity Rape Crisis said it was a "significant step forward" and the package of reforms would ensure courts "properly meet the needs of victims and survivors".</p><p><strong>More from Sky News:<br /><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/no-woman-should-have-to-curb-ambitions-out-of-fear-national-taskforce-to-tackle-misogyny-launched-13589964">National taskforce to tackle misogyny launched</a><br /><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/second-murder-arrest-after-remains-of-missing-woman-found-following-wildfire-13589933">Second arrest after remains of missing woman found </a></strong></p> <widget id="7"></widget> <widget id="6"></widget><p>Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy also welcomed the move but criticised the government's wider <strong><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/jury-trial-changes-survive-labour-rebellion-to-clear-first-commons-hurdle-13517843">plan to reduce the number of jury trials</a></strong>.</p><p>"The fact that victims have been withdrawing their cases because they have taken too long has been a disgrace," he said.</p><p>"Labour need to get courts sitting throughout the year, end the delays and clear the backlog - not undermine our right to a trial by jury."</p>