Women have been scarred by criminal justice process

A woman who claims she was raped has raised “serious concerns” over the criminal justice system after “failings” led to the accused walking free.

The woman, who cannot be named, said another alleged victim was not interviewed by police until two years after the incident.

Women have criticised justice system

It meant she was the only person to give evidence during a trial which the complainant believes weakened her case before the man was acquitted in 2025 - some four years after the alleged incident.

Angry at what had happened to her she ended up being arrested for stalking and harassment after naming the man when posting on social media about what she says happened to her.

“What has happened to me raises serious concerns about how victims of sexual assault are treated by the criminal justice system,” she said.

“In December 2021, I was a victim of sexual assault after reporting the offence to the police. Another victim also reported the same perpetrator, despite this the police initially dropped the case and instead wrongly arrested me for stalking and harassment.”

The woman said Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage helped her submit a victim's right to review, which resulted in the case finally being taken to court. “However, this meant my witnesses were not interviewed until two years after I reported, the prosecution relied almost entirely on my evidence and did not pursue the wider case or use the other victim to secure a conviction,” she said.

The complainant said she “didn't feel the trial was fair” after the defendant walked free with her “used for a weak prosecution then abandoned”.

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage. Picture: Sarah Standing (040926-842) | Iconic Resell

She was subsequently arrested after the man made a complaint against her for a social media post in which she said she had been raped. “This statement is true and reflects my lived experience as a victim,” she said.

“It was the same post that had been up previously and I had two police women come to see me in that week and they said they are just checking I'm not going to post every week, which I said I wouldn't as the post was my justice.”

The woman said she had to re-post after the original poster was removed by Facebook but the latest post was the same and was “word for word and not a new post” and had been pinned to her profile for several months.

She was told to attend a police interview and do a "victim impact" or abuse awareness course as a community resolution. “As someone with diagnosed PTSD caused by this rape, and the subsequent criminal justice process, this requirement was extremely triggering and inappropriate,” she said. “Not to mention I am being punished for something I haven't done. It feels like I'm being punished and re-educated rather than being protected.”

The complainant says she now “feels so distressed and unsafe” before adding: “When victims are treated worse than the perpetrator and victims are treated like offenders for speaking out it sends a chilling message to others who may be considering reporting serious crimes such as rape.

“This is not an isolated failure - it reflects a system that too often silences victims rather than protects them. Survivors should not be criminalised for speaking the truth and justice should not depend on who is loud and who is quiet. I either spoke or I wouldn't be here today.

“I have lost trust in the system that was supposed to protect me. Instead of receiving support, I have been re-traumatised, silenced and repeatedly put under investigation by the same authorities that failed me. This is not justice and it must be challenged.”

The account comes as other women have revealed grievances with the criminal justice system when reporting sexual offences.

Another woman said police “failed to protect me and the public” after claiming she was sexually assaulted in an Uber taxi. She said the driver was never approached as a potential witness following the incident in the car with a man she had been on a date with.

She said: “If I had been murdered then police would definitely have spoken to the taxi driver so it feels like they are not taking it seriously enough. They are not following all lines of enquiry. I feel like I’ve been failed by the people who are meant to look after me.

“Police said I can review things through the Victims’ Right to Review but because there is no new evidence from the police - as they haven’t spoken with the taxi driver - the CPS will not review it, so I’m stuck.”

The woman now feels as though she is being “ignored” by police since receiving a message from an officer saying they could no longer pursue the case.

A third woman said of her experiences: “It’s so painful, to have drummed up the courage to go to the police, wait for the charges, then to go through the trial and re-live all those experiences - just for him to be found not guilty.

“When you give evidence in court, and the defence solicitor is questioning you, they say things like, ‘he didn’t actually rape you, did he’ and suggesting that you made the whole thing up. I know it’s their job but it’s invalidating your experiences, your trauma, in front of a bunch of strangers.

“The support you get when you first report it to the police is amazing, but that whole support network seems to stagger as soon as the trial arrives.”

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), only 14.7 per cent of all sexual assault incidents are actually reported to the police. Of these reports, people are only charged in roughly five per cent of cases.

In the year ending March 2025, police reported an 11 per cent increase in the number of sexual assault reports being filed, while the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that nearly two per cent of people 16 years old and over had experienced sexual assault in that same time period.

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones | National World Resell

A victim who did secure convictions for violent offences but not sexual offences said the ordeal had scarred her. She said: “Being in court was horrible. I had to look at the photos of my bruises again, you’re being questioned by lawyers and it was a really intense thing to sit through. Everything you went through comes right back to the surface.

“It was definitely a relief for him to be found guilty of some of it, but I have to go on living with the knowledge of what he did every single day. In a way, I did feel let down.

“It feels like a broken system, knowing that so many other girls have to sit through the exact same thing.”

Hampshire police and crime commissioner Donna Jones has made violence against women and girls one of her top priorities. This financial year, she has also committed £5.6m for services to support female abuse survivors.

She said: “It is hugely important women report any incidents to police. Without their bravery in coming forward, we can’t put perpetrators behind bars.

“Officers work extremely hard to get cases to court and the way the evidence is presented is absolutely key in securing convictions. But there needs to be more funding for policing and comprehensive judicial reform to speed up investigations, trials, and sentencing.

“Victims of sexual violence are still waiting years for justice and that is unacceptable. That delay not only re-traumatises survivors but undermines public confidence in the system.

“Whether recent or historical abuse, it is important that victims of domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault feel listened to and receive practical, non-judgmental and compassionate support throughout the entire process.

“That’s why I’ve invested £5.6m in services to support victims and reduce violence against women and girls in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight this financial year.

“Ultimately, society’s attitude must change if we are to reduce sexual offences, harassment, rape and abuse going forward. That starts with education from an early age.”

There are also national services such as Rape Crisis England and Wales, which published a report called Living In Limbo - highlighting the need to help survivors of sexual assault while they wait for their abuser’s court date to arrive.

CEO of Rape Crisis England and Wales, Ciara Bergman. | RCEW

CEO Ciara Bergman said: “Ultimately these problems have been caused by prolonged under-investment in our court system, archaic processes, a lack of scrutiny and accountability, and a failure to consider the impact of any of this on survivors.

“The crown court is failing women and children and undermining their attempts to secure criminal justice against their abusers more regularly than ever. In doing so, it’s also failing wider society. A great many survivors go through this gruelling process because they want to stop rape and sexual abuse from happening to anyone else. But the current failings mean that justice remains out of reach for those who need it most.

“The upcoming violence against women and girls strategy is an opportunity for our government to put things right for rape and sexual abuse survivors and afford them the dignity, priority and care they deserve when it comes to how their cases are managed, listed and progressed through the criminal courts.”