Letters to victims of rape and other crimes sent by the Crown Prosecution Service explaining legal decisions are of poor quality, lack human empathy and are frequently late, according to an official watchdog.
27 October 2020
CPS lacking empathy
In a highly critical follow-up report, Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) concludes that two years after making similar findings there has been no improvement.
Of 490 letters that were checked, fewer than one in four letters (24.1%) were rated as being of a satisfactory standard – an improvement of 0.1 percentage point since 2018.
Among those sent to victims in cases involving rape and serious sexual offences, the proportion deemed to be adequate was only 19%. For victims in domestic abuse cases, the satisfactory level reached 28%.
