Record court backlogs are leaving victims unable to work or turning to drugs, alcohol and self-harm as they wait years for cases to reach trial, the Victims’ Commissioner has warned.
A report into the impact of soaring crown court delays has revealed the devastating toll of repeated trial postponements on victims’ mental health, everyday lives and finances.
The survey of 145 victim experiences, including survivors of serious offences including rape, murder and robbery, found 48 per cent had a trial date pushed back at least once. A quarter said their trial date had been changed four or more times.
More than a third said they were not given an explanation when their trial date was changed.
The delays come amid record crown court backlogs in England and Wales, which has almost doubled in five years to 73,105 outstanding cases at the end of September last year.
Baroness Newlove said the stark findings confirmed her fears that court delays are harming victims.
She called for the government to provide emergency cash for victim support services during this “time of crisis” and reverse funding cuts announced last year, adding: “I fear this will drive some victims to give up on seeking justice altogether – a second injustice compounding the first.”
The report published on Tuesday found many victims are struggling to cope and, in some cases, repeated adjournments have led to self-harm or suicidal thoughts.
One victim revealed she overdosed after her fourth trial adjournment, adding: “I actually ended up taking an overdose at one point, about halfway through the process, and I ended up in A&E because I just found it too difficult.
“It was just after the 4th postponement yeah. I took an overdose. I just couldn’t [do] it.”
Others turned to drugs and alcohol to try and cope with the stress and emotional anguish of delays, the research found.
One victim said: “By you doing this [adjourning] …there’s going to be so many repercussions from this. Because of abuse and everything, I ended up alcohol dependent. I went through treatment. I was like, you are literally like putting my recovery at risk.”
Another said: “I’m 30 now and I was 25 when I reported. I feel like I can’t remember the second half of my 20s.
“The only memory I’ve got of the second half of my 20s is going through the court system because that’s all you can think about and your life gets put on hold… literally it’s like I woke up one day and I’d lost five years of my life.”
The findings have been shared with Sir Brian Leveson’s independent review of criminal courts, announced in December, ahead of its publication expected in the spring.
Baroness Newlove said: “For far too many victims, justice now feels out of reach. These delays don’t just prolong the process-they deepen the trauma. Victims’ lives are put on hold, relationships are strained, and their jobs and prospects are threatened. Justice should never come at such a cost.”
President of the Law Society of England and Wales Richard Atkinson backed her calls for adequate funding for victim support services, adding: “The Crown Court backlog, which continues to grow at an alarming rate, is undermining the effectiveness of the criminal justice system and lowering victims’ confidence in its ability to deliver justice.
“Long delays diminish the quality of evidence and result in additional stress for victims, witnesses and defendants alike. At worst, they can lead to victims abandoning cases denying them justice altogether.”
Victim Support’s chief executive Katie Kempen said staggering court delays are causing “untold suffering and depriving victims of justice”, as well as adding pressure to overstretched support services.
“Even if meaningful action is taken now, the court crisis will take years to resolve,” she warned, calling for increased funding for services.
Julia Dwyer, head of services at Refuge, said women they support are now being given trial dates in 2026 and delays exacerbate mental health difficulties faced by survivors of abuse.
She added: “Court delays are deeply traumatic for many survivors, and women often tell Refuge they feel let down by the very system that is supposed to protect them. Some even tell us they have given up hope, or that the delay to their perpetrator’s trial is hindering them from processing the abuse they have endured.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog – that’s why we’ve asked Sir Brian Leveson to propose once-in-a-generation reform to deliver swifter justice for victims.
“We’ve already funded an additional 2,500 sitting days, raising court capacity to the highest in almost ten years and are committed to working with our partners to deliver longer-term reform. We will not stop until we have a system that protects victims, supports their journey to justice and holds perpetrators to account.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
