In September of last year, a woman from Gloucestershire abandoned her case in court after the judge adjourned it for a further two years. She had been sexually assaulted by a taxi driver in 2022 and was left in tears when she heard the news.

By then, her mother and ex-partner had already given excruciating evidence and testimony. The delay was simply too much to bear. She felt she had no choice but to pull out.

In Gloucester Crown Court, there were over 100 sexual offence cases still waiting to be heard as of last year.

Is it acceptable that victims are forced to wait like this?

As a former lawyer who represented the NHS, I’m well acquainted with waiting lists. But what we are witnessing across our criminal justice system is risking something far more serious.

The current backlog sta

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