(Re)Search & Destroy

2,932 RAPE CASES ENTERED THE CROWN COURT IN JUST SIX MONTHS Between January and June 2026, 2,932 new rape cases entered the Crown Court in England and Wales. Behind every one of those cases is a human being. For victims and survivors, this isn’t simply a number appearing in a Ministry of Justice spreadsheet. It can mean months or even years of uncertainty while they wait for their case to be dealt with. And the problem isn’t just the number of new cases entering the system. The Crown Court backlog is continuing to grow. By the end of June, the figures showed: 🔺 80,829 cases open in the Crown Court, a series record. 🔺 16,089 sexual-offence cases in the Crown Court backlog, 22% higher than a year earlier. 🔺 Open rape cases were up 26% year-on-year. 🔺 23,706 Crown Court cases had been open for a year or more, another series record. 🔺 The median age of an open Crown Court case had reached 203 days, compared with 168 days a year earlier. The rape figures themselves are particularly striking. Between January and March 2026, 1,416 new rape cases were entering the Crown Court. Between April and June 2026, there were another 1,516. That gives us 2,932 new rape cases during the first six months of 2026, with the April–June figure reaching a series peak. Compared with April–June 2025: 🔺 Child rape cases were up 10%. 🔺 Adult rape cases were up 19%. Then there is another part of the court system that deserves attention. During the first six months of 2026, 400 trials could not go ahead as planned because an interpreter was unavailable. That represented 3% of all ineffective trials across the magistrates’ courts and Crown Court. The Ministry of Justice does not say those 400 trials were rape cases, or that interpreters caused 3% of the rape backlog. But 400 trials could not proceed because an interpreter was unavailable. Make of that what you will. The government has now announced specialist rape courtrooms across England and Wales, with measures intended to reduce delays and improve the experience for victims. Close the borders. We see the daily reports we see what you've done. Specialist courts would not be needed if you just put women's and children's safety first. The next set of criminal court figures, covering July to September 2026, is due to be released on: 📅 10 DECEMBER 2026 That will give us the next picture of whether the Crown Court backlog, sexual-offence backlog and rape figures are beginning to fall, or whether they are continuing to grow. Source: Ministry of Justice, Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly, April–June 2026.