Published date:
Responding to the publication of the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) Statistical Bulletin: Cases Involving Sexual Offences 2024/25, Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna said:
“The PPS should be commended for reducing the time it takes to make a decision on indictable prosecutions on all sexual offences.
“The fact that median decision-making time has dropped from 212 days to 133 days in the space of a year is a really positive improvement that I hope will continue in years to come.
“Delay is a huge issue in our justice system, particularly in complex sexual offences cases. I welcome the fact that the PPS has achieved a 10-year low for making prosecution decisions in these most sensitive of cases.
“The length of time it takes for cases to get through the criminal justice system is not just an issue for PPS; it is an issue for the whole criminal justice system.
“Tackling delay will require joint working, innovative solutions and robust case management at all stages to improve timeliness and efficiency. Victims of crime see the justice system as a whole, so if the PPS’s sped up decision-making is cancelled out by increased delays elsewhere, victims will not experience the benefit of these improvements.
“I am aware of and encouraged by collaboration between the PPS and PSNI, I think we are seeing some positive outcomes from that work. Now is not the time to rest on laurels, however, now is the time to do more.
“Joined-up work needs to be properly resourced and supported. We’ve seen it before in the justice system, when resources are invested, real-world improvements can be made.
“Delay is not an abstract idea. It’s birthdays, Christmases, anniversaries coming and going with no relief. Whole swathes of people’s lives lived under a shadow, years lost to anxiety, stress and worry.
“It is positive to see that the PPS is now monitoring longer term trends in their data which provides the public with more meaningful information about sexual offences and how they are handled and helps measure how well our system is working for victims.”