The BBC has discovered 60 cases where violent and sexual offence cases were wrongfully dropped.
By Emma AilesAn urgent review of rights available to victims after their court cases are dropped has been urged by Labour.claims she had an episode of sexsomniaThe BBC found 60 cases in 2021/22 which the CPS admitted wrongly dropping, but the cases can no longer be pursued.In all 60 cases, a victim won a review against proceedings being terminated, but this not have the same strength as winning an appeal overturning the decision.
After Ms McCrossen-Nethercott challenged the CPS decision under a system called the "victim's right to review" , an independent chief crown prosecutor found her case should have been taken to trial. Instead, she received a letter of an apology from the chief prosecutor on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service - which he accepted was likely to be of "little consolation" to her.
She added Ms McCrossen-Nethercott's experience was "by no means an isolated case", with the VRR process identifying similar errors each year, "leaving victims of sexual and violent crimes with their own letters of sorrow". The CPS said it had "huge sympathy" for victims whose cases could not be reopened because no evidence had been offered.
In his judgement, Lord Justice Holroyde concluded that allowing a victim's review before the prosecution was terminated would cause serious and unjustifiable delay in proceedings.
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