Burglary victims waiting 5 Years for justice

Victims of burglary are waiting up to five years for justice as court delays reach record levels, according to an investigation by a broadsheet newspaper.

Data from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) reveals that nearly one in ten theft victims, including those affected by burglary, wait over two years between reporting the crime and seeing the perpetrator brought to trial.

One victim of aggravated burglary, in which eight machete-wielding men broke into her family home in October 2021, shared her frustration. She was told the suspects wouldn't face trial until 2026, despite already enduring a three-year wait.

"I am furious," she said. "For the past three years, I've felt the police didn't take it as seriously as they should have."

During the attack, the intruders reportedly threatened her, her husband, and their two sons, demanding valuables. The family fought back, forcing the attackers to flee. Since then, they've heightened security measures, acquired guard dogs, and initially felt too fearful to let their youngest child attend school alone.

"It has turned our lives upside down. We are much less trusting and deeply traumatized," she added.

Her MP, Stella Creasy, has raised the case in Parliament, urging the Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to address the delays. "My constituents shouldn't have to wait five years for justice.  Increasing court capacity to handle serious offences is essential," Creasy said.

The backlog of Crown Court cases has surged from 38,000 pre-Covid to a record 68,000. Shortages of legal professionals, barristers' strikes, collapsed trials, and an uptick in complex cases like rape are worsening delays.

According to The Telegraph, victims of sexual offences, including rape, face the longest waits averaging 2,307 days (six years). Fraud victims wait an average of 1,647 days (4.5 years), with over 22% of these cases exceeding two years. Other delays include public order offences (668 days), drug offences (632 days), violent crimes (509 days), possession of weapons (499 days), robbery (473 days), theft (458 days), and arson or criminal damage (443 days).

These figures exclude cases that collapse due to victims withdrawing from prosecutions after losing confidence in the justice system.

Baroness Newlove, the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, warned that "chronic and unacceptable" delays are becoming systemic. "These delays compound victims' trauma, affecting their mental health and family relationships. Many victims are unable to endure the process, leading to dropped prosecutions," she said.

The MoJ's previous target to reduce the Crown Court backlog to 53,000 cases by March 2025 has been abandoned. Estimates suggest the backlog may remain as high as 64,000, just 4,000 shy of the current record.

Additional challenges include last-minute trial cancellations due to logistical issues like absent defendants, shortages of barristers, and overbooked courts. Nearly 8,000 trials were deemed "ineffective" last year, accounting for a quarter of all scheduled cases.

Courtroom closures exacerbate the issue. On any given day, up to 170 courtrooms remain unused due to funding cuts or shortages of judges, staff, or lawyers, according to the Criminal Bar Association (CBA).

Mary Prior KC, chair of the CBA, emphasized the broader consequences: "The real cost of cuts and underinvestment is that people stop believing in justice. Why report a crime if trials take four to six years to be heard? How can anyone move on with their lives in the meantime?"

An MoJ spokesperson defended the government's efforts, citing a difficult financial inheritance and steps to address the backlog. "We've increased Crown Court sitting days to 106,500, more than in six of the past seven years. Additionally, extending magistrates' sentencing powers from six to twelve months will free up 2,000 Crown Court days to focus on serious cases."