The CPS is conducting what it describes as a “listening exercise” with academics, barristers, civil liberty campaigners and youth groups who fear the use of drill music in trials can unfairly stereotype young black defendants as being involved in violence.
Although there have been cases where evidence of drill music inciting gang violence has been presented, the CPS maintains that it is only used where it is “important” and “relevant.” It said it was not aware of any cases where drill music had been wrongly used as evidence in the past.
A CPS spokesman told The Telegraph: ““There is nothing criminal about listening to drill but like any other genre of music, if it involves serious threats of violence it may end up in a prosecution, especially if there is evidence those threats have been acted upon.
“We are drafting guidance on this issue and met with stakeholders to get their views on how drill music is used in evidence. The new guidance will be circulated for consultation before it is published.”
Research by the think tank Policy Exchange found that of the 41 gang related homicides in 2018, drill music played a role in at least one third (36.5 per cent) of them.
This was where either the victim or perpetrator was an aspiring drill rapper, or drill music videos were used as evidence in the trial. This figure was 23 per cent in 2019.
Knife crime reached its highest level of the decade in 2019 as 44 knife offences were committed a day with 94 fatal stabbing victims. Additionally, at least 25 per cent of cases in 2018 and 2019 are directly linked to retaliation, the report said.