Yvette Cooper MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the rape monitoring group report, said:

“These figures are extremely disturbing and a shocking indictment of the widening justice gap created by this Government. Over the last four years, there has been a dire trend in recorded incidents of rape going up, but prosecutions and convictions going down. This report is the latest evidence of this appalling state of affairs. There were 7,775 reports of child rape last year, up 23 per cent from the year before and a 29 per cent increase in recorded rapes, up to 12,952. Yet less than a third of those incidents are being passed to the CPS – and even fewer are resulting in charges being brought. In some areas charges are being brought against only 33 per cent of those cases that actually reach the CPS.

“Rape and the sexual abuse of a child – are some of the most abhorrent and heinous crimes. And victims deserve justice. The police have been saying for some time that they are dealing with an increasing number of these horrific cases and that, in some areas, they are overwhelmed by the level of child sexual exploitation.

“Almost 17,000 police officers have been cut since 2010 and specialist units with expertise in sexual offences have been disbanded as officers are deployed in more general roles. And the Tories extreme plans would mean cutting 30,000 more police officers in the next parliament. They have no plan to support police to deal with the increase in these terrible crimes. Today’s figures should act as a warning to Theresa May – there are consequences to the decisions she has made as Home Secretary and the justice gap for rape victims is just one of them.”