Most crime victims in England and Wales lack faith in the criminal justice system to do its job and deliver justice.
That is according to a new report by the independent Victims’ Commissioner, drawing upon the largest study—of over 3,000 victims of crime—it has ever undertaken. 73% of respondents to the study said they aren’t confident reporting a crime will lead to justice. 40% also expressed dissatisfaction with police responses.
The online survey was launched in November last year, while the Conservatives were still in office. Its findings further highlight the collapse in support for many British institutions.
Public trust in this most important of systems is likely to have gotten much worse in the past few months of new Labour governance. In this time, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has signed off on plans to release thousands of criminals after they served just 40% of their sentences. Many of them are violent and will almost inevitably offend again.
The almost constant flow of reports of criminals being given far too easy a ride won’t have done much to instill confidence, either. Just this week, a mother hit out at Starmer’s administration after she discovered that one of the killers of her 14-year-old son—who was the victim in a violent machete attack—will be released from prison after serving just 14 months in total.
Some of the victims of crimes quoted in the report offered damning indictments of the shoddy state of Britain’s justice system.
“The entire justice system seems to be falling apart,” said one.
“If anything, I felt like the police made things significantly worse for me throughout this,” said another victim, who uses a wheelchair.
They told me at one point that because of my disability, I should have someone looking after me to help stop crimes happening to me. I am an adult, and they didn’t treat me as such. I don’t need a caretaker just because I am in a wheelchair.
The new government has promised to “reform the justice system to put the needs of victims first.” But its policing minister also openly believes that Britain is “addicted to sentencing,” which suggests that under his watch, criminals will be given an even easier ride, much to the dismay of victims. Starmer’s administration appears far more interested in clamping down on the freedom of speech—and of thought—instead.
In modern Britain, business owners far too often fall victim to crippling crime, too. Indeed, it is no more clear that criminals have near-total faith they will remain out of the weak grasp of the justice system than when it comes to shoplifting. Dame Sharon White, the chair of one of the country’s most iconic retailers, John Lewis, said around this time last year that police inaction meant criminals had been handed an effective “licence to shoplift, which is not a victimless crime.”
Labour has pledged to tackle this issue, too, but already-struggling business owners are advised not to hold their breaths while waiting for change.
