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<p><strong>ANSWER:</strong><strong> ATTORNEY GENERAL</strong>: The Crown Prosecution
Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of complaints received
about the handling of allegations of rape under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. This
information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur
disproportionate cost.</p><p>It does however hold data about the Victim’s Right to
Review (VRR) scheme. A VRR arises where the CPS finalises a case with a decision that
qualifies under the scheme. Qualifying decisions are where the CPS:</p><p>(i) makes
the decision not to bring proceedings (i.e. at the pre-charge stage); or</p><p>(ii)
decides to discontinue (or withdraw in the Magistrates’ Court) all charges</p><p>involving
the victim, thereby entirely ending all proceedings relating to them;</p><p>(iii)
offers no evidence in all proceedings relating to the victim; or</p><p>(iv) decides
to leave all charges in the proceedings to “lie on file”.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS launched
the scheme in June 2013.</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the number of VRR appeals
received by the CPS, where the principal offence was identified as a sexual offence,
since the Scheme began.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>June 2013 - March
2014</p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total
VRR Appeals Received</p></td><td><p>143</p></td><td><p>239</p></td><td><p>373</p></td><td><p>453</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Number
of Sexual Offence VRR Appeals Upheld</p></td><td><p>27</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>53</p></td><td><p>24</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>%
of Sexual Offences Appeals Upheld</p></td><td><p>18.9%</p></td><td><p>15.5%</p></td><td><p>14.2%</p></td><td><p>5.3%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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