'I was dumbfounded': Sexual abuse complainant faces lengthy wait for trial following West Midlands court delays
An alleged victim of historical sexual abuse has spoken of his anguish as he faces a lengthy wait to see his alleged perpetrator in court, after a judge adjourned his trial for two years.
The man from the West Midlands, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Press Association his hands shook as he rang to finally report the alleged crime in July 2018, nearly four decades after it had taken place.
He said West Mercia Police took two years to interview the man he alleges had abused him – who it is claimed carried out attacks on the complainant when he was a child in the 1980s.
The Crown Prosecution Service did not charge the accused until April 2024, with the case coming before a judge in the region in July this year.
However, on arriving at court for the trial to get under way, the judge adjourned the case until July 2027, nine years after the complainant made his report.
He is one of the thousands to be affected by the crown court backlog, which the Government said it hopes to reduce through measures including plans to limit jury trials.
The complainant said he was unhappy at the long wait after preparing himself for proceedings to get under way.
He said: “I just didn’t have the words. I was dumbfounded. I thought I was hearing things when she told me. It’s incomprehensible that it’s happening, after all this time.”
He continued: “The weeks leading up to it, I wasn’t in work, I just didn’t have enough time for anything else. I didn’t have room for all of that.
“Then to be told on the Monday, it’ll be Tuesday, then it was Wednesday and then on Wednesday Victim Support rang to say the previous court case had taken too long and it has been shelved until 2027.
“I said ‘why aren’t I just the next one along?’ Well it doesn’t work like that. So all the way through the system, victims of particularly historic abuse are pushed down, pushed back all the time, and that’s before you get to the court process and that pushes you back as well.”
Recent statistics published by the Ministry of Justice show the court backlog had risen by 9% to 79,619 year-on-year.
The number of outstanding cases has been at an ever-growing high point since early 2023, with long waits to cases affected by the Covid pandemic.
However, a shortage of criminal lawyers, and historic reductions in the number of sitting days, and the closure of crown courts in the last 15 years have also had a large impact.
Government projections indicate the backlog could reach 100,000 by 2028.
This has led Justice Secretary David Lammy to announce large-scale reforms, including the removal of juries from a number of trials in England and Wales.
The automatic ability to appeal against magistrate court verdicts to a crown court is also being repealed.
The alleged victim said he was supportive of the Government’s proposals to limit jury trials, as he believed it could get more consistency in verdicts.
However, he said his main concern was getting his day in court.
He said: “I want justice, I know what happened, the other person knows what’s happened.”
On the backlog, he said: “You just wonder what the hell we’re doing. It’s people’s lives they’re mucking around. They always blame it on Covid or something like that, but it’s so many delays now other than Covid now too.”
Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, said: “The huge backlog in our courts is denying victims the justice they deserve, and I’ve heard from countless constituents about the serious impact court delays have.
“These long waits undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system and allow too many criminals to get away with it.
“It also means victims and witnesses can withdraw from proceedings, or their recollection of evidence fades over time.
“It can also impact victims’ mental wellbeing as well as that of defendants awaiting trial.
“The Government needs to invest and modernise our courts system to tackle the backlogs and reduce the number of people on remand.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said their thoughts were with the complainant who “like so many, is facing an unacceptably long wait for justice”.
They added: “It is exactly why the Government is combining bold reforms, extra investment and tackling inefficiencies to address the huge court backlog so victims get the swifter justice they deserve.”
A West Mercia Police spokesperson said: “Due to court proceedings being active it would not be appropriate to comment on this specific case.
“However, rape and serious sexual offences are among some of the most complex and sensitive cases officers investigate, and we remain absolutely committed to delivering justice for victims.”
The case continues.
