Nationally, victims of rape and sexual offences are waiting on average 2 years for an outcome for their case, according to the rape crisis organisation.
As of September 2025, 7,393 cases of sexual offences and 5,845 of rape are waiting to go to court, a record high, increasing by 40% in two years.
In Bournemouth, there are currently 43 offences waiting for a result.
The graph displays how long the current offences in Bournemouth have been waiting for an outcome.
The delay can be due to several reasons, such as the COVID-19 backlog, funding cuts, court dates being postponed because of scheduling issues, and a shortage of solicitors, barristers and judges.
Data from Dorset Police reports that there are currently 9 cases of rape and sexual offences that have been waiting more than 5 years for an outcome. The longest victim currently waiting for an outcome in Bournemouth is 9 years.
Charities such as Rape Crisis England and Wales are calling for the wait times to be reduced, due to how it can affect victims.
The process between reporting and the case reaching an outcome can impact victims’ mental health, recovery from their trauma, and their chance of carrying out their case to an outcome.
The government has announced changes to bring wait times down for all cases.
They have assigned an additional £92 million per year to help criminal legal aid solicitors and new funding to increase crown court sitting days to 111,000. In the government’s manifesto in 2024, they were elected with pledged their commitment to addressing the court’s backlogs.
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