Victims in 2026 have gained more rights than ever before, but the road to justice has become increasingly challenging.
Having endured years of relentless stalking over two decades, I understand firsthand the disappointment of being let down by the very system designed to protect individuals. This personal ordeal has significantly influenced my life and career path.
Motivated by my own struggles, I have dedicated considerable time advocating for victims’ rights, which led to significant milestones such as the enactment of the Victims and Prisoners Act. These hard-fought achievements solidified the legal standing of victims’ rights.
Assuming the role of Victims’ Commissioner, I acknowledge that mere rights on paper are insufficient. While laws can pledge access to justice and assistance, it is only through a functional court system that these promises can be realized.
The typical expectation for most individuals is straightforward: report a crime, and the system should promptly intervene with fairness and support. Unfortunately, the reality in 2026 is jarring. Being a victim nowadays means entering a limbo of uncertainty and anxiety upon reporting a crime, characterized by prolonged waiting periods.
Despite being the central figure in a case, victims often find themselves relegated to a secondary role due to overwhelming demands on the system. Waiting endlessly for updates and court dates that never materialize exacerbates their trauma, despite the admirable efforts of support services.
Encounters with victims facing trial dates as far out as 2030 underscore the excruciating wait and perpetual uncertainty plaguing them. The prolonged delays, adjourned hearings, and lack of closure only serve to compound their suffering.
Against the backdrop of the Sentencing Bill aiming to further reduce jail time, victims enduring years of anticipation for their day in court may question if they are unwittingly serving the sentence, instead of the perpetrator.
Tragically, many victims opt to walk away as the unbearable weight of prolonged waiting takes its toll, rendering the pursuit of justice too steep a price – essentially putting their lives on hold.
As London’s Victims’ Commissioner, I had forewarned about the repercussions of prolonged neglect and underfunding on the justice system, which are now glaringly evident. The backlog of nearly 80,000 cases, double the pre-pandemic figures, signifies a crisis where lives are indefinitely paused.
With numerous cases spanning back to the previous decade awaiting trial, individuals have transitioned from childhood to adulthood, their lives forever altered while awaiting their day in court. Without swift intervention, projections predict a backlog of 125,000 cases by the Parliament’s end – a grave failure in fulfilling responsibilities.
The monumental challenge at hand necessitates a departure from the status quo. Sir Brian Leveson’s assessment of the court system revealed a broken structure that cannot be remedied with superficial adjustments. The call for substantial changes, including the potential adoption of judge-only trials to circumvent the gridlock, underscores the urgency for a paradigm shift.
The proposal of such radical changes, though contentious and traditional, reflects the imperative need to overhaul a system that currently subjects victims to enduring trials of their own. Justice delayed by years for survivors of heinous crimes is a stark indication that the system is fundamentally flawed.
Stagnation is no longer an option as each day of inaction contributes to an expanding queue of unresolved cases and disillusioned victims, leaving wrongdoers unchecked. It is imperative to address this crisis promptly and decisively.
In the upcoming discourse around legal conventions and procedural intricacies, my commitment as a Victims’ Commissioner is to champion the voice of victims amidst debates on tradition and processes.
Every proposal will be meticulously scrutinized through the lens of delivering swift and effective justice to crime victims. The human toll of this crisis is undeniable, and a system that shatters victims on the path to justice represents a systemic failure.
It is time to shift the focus from demanding the impossible from victims and start delivering a dependable system that earns their trust – one that functions efficiently in practice, not just in principle.