CPS Review Confirms Collapse of 47 Sex Cases Following Disclosure Issues

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Alison Saunders, has issued an apology after a review of 3,637 rape and serious sexual assault cases revealed 47 instances where prosecutions collapsed after vital evidence was not disclosed to the Defence.  In respect of 5 of those cases, disclosure failures were found to be the main reason for cases having collapsed – and it was also confirmed that 14 defendants have had to be released from custody as a result.

The review followed revelations earlier this year that 3 rape cases in quick succession were abandoned after it was discovered that police and prosecutors had failed to disclose evidence to defence teams.

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