Abuse and sexual assault survivors speak out against Portsmouth's 'broken' court system

Survivors of abuse have called for better support in the courtroom after being forced to relive their experiences - and being called liars by lawyers.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), only 14.7 per cent of all sexual assault incidents are actually reported to the police. Of these reports, people are only charged in roughly five per cent of cases.

In the year ending March 2025, police reported an 11 per cent increase in the number of sexual assault reports being filed, while the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that nearly two per cent of people 16 years old and over had experienced sexual assault in that same time period.

The figures all make for gloom reading - and even when matters reach the courtroom, they don’t necessarily improve. Sexual assault survivors are forced to relive their experiences in court, be cross-examined by solicitors, and after all that might still not get the result they were hoping for.

In some cases, defendants are found guilty of physical violence - such as assault, actual bodily harm or intentional strangulation - but not guilty of sexual offences.

One such victim has spoken to The News about her experience after her attacker was found guilty of one count of actual bodily harm, and one count of controlling or coercive behaviour, but found not guilty of two counts of sexual assault, and one count of intentional strangulation.

She, and the others who have bravely come forward for this article, have a life-long right to anonymity.

She said: “I wasn’t going to go to the police at first - but my housemates said he had been manipulating me, and explained how bad things had been.

“Being in court was horrible. I had to look at the photos of my bruises again, you’re being questioned by lawyers and it was a really intense thing to sit through. Everything you went through comes right back to the surface.

“It was definitely a relief for him to be found guilty of some of it, but I have to go on living with the knowledge of what he did every single day. In a way, I did feel let down.

“It feels like a broken system, knowing that so many other girls have to sit through the exact same thing.”

The woman who survived the abuse added that the police officers who investigated her case were “incredible” and urged other women not to be afraid of reporting their experiences.

Another survivor, who is also not being named, has spoken to The News after her alleged abuser was found not guilty of rape.

She said: “It’s so painful, to have drummed up the courage to go to the police, waited for the charges, then to go through the trial and re-live all those experiences - just for him to be found not guilty.

“When you give evidence in court, and the defence solicitor is questioning you, they say things like, ‘he didn’t actually rape you, did he’ and suggesting that you made the whole thing up. I know it’s their job but it’s invalidating your experiences, your trauma, in front of a bunch of strangers.

“The support you get when you first report it to the police is amazing, but that whole support network seems to stagger as soon as the trial arrives.”

Since she took office, Hampshire police and crime commissioner Donna Jones has made violence against women and girls one of her top priorities. This financial year, she has also committed £5.6m for services to support female abuse survivors.

She said: “It is hugely important women report any incidents to police. Without their bravery in coming forward, we can’t put perpetrators behind bars.

“Officers work extremely hard to get cases to court and the way the evidence is presented is absolutely key in securing convictions. But there needs to be more funding for policing and comprehensive judicial reform to speed up investigations, trials, and sentencing.

“Victims of sexual violence are still waiting years for justice and that is unacceptable. That delay not only re-traumatises survivors but undermines public confidence in the system.

“Whether recent or historical abuse, it is important that victims of domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault feel listened to and receive practical, non-judgmental and compassionate support throughout the entire process.

“That’s why I’ve invested £5.6m in services to support victims and reduce violence against women and girls in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight this financial year.

“Ultimately, society’s attitude must change if we are to reduce sexual offences, harassment, rape and abuse going forward. That starts with education from an early age.”

For survivors of sexual assault, there is support available from both national and local organisations.

People living in Portsmouth and the surrounding area can get in touch with the likes of Portsmouth Abuse and Rape Counselling Service (PARCS), Aurora New Dawn and Star Counselling.

There are also national services such as Rape Crisis England and Wales, which published a report called Living In Limbo - highlighting the need to help survivors of sexual assault while they wait for their abuser’s court date to arrive.

CEO Ciara Bergman said: “Ultimately these problems have been caused by prolonged under-investment in our court system, archaic processes, a lack of scrutiny and accountability, and a failure to consider the impact of any of this on survivors.

“The crown court is failing women and children and undermining their attempts to secure criminal justice against their abusers more regularly than ever. In doing so, it’s also failing wider society. A great many survivors go through this gruelling process because they want to stop rape and sexual abuse from happening to anyone else. But the current failings mean that justice remains out of reach for those who need it most.

“The upcoming violence against women and girls strategy is an opportunity for our government to put things right for rape and sexual abuse survivors and afford them the dignity, priority and care they deserve when it comes to how their cases are managed, listed and progressed through the criminal courts.”