The government’s unreserved apology to failed rape victims and survivors is but a baby step in the right direction.

Cabinet ministers (Priti Patel, Robert Buckland, Kit Malthouse and Attorney General Michael Ellis) have all said they are “deeply ashamed” of the failures but we demand they must now take action for those they have devastatingly let down.

This starts with looking at the bad decisions that have been made by the CPS.  We want the Government to provide restorative justice and are calling for all rape and sex offence cases which were closed, to be reopened and re-evaluated.

For too many years, rape victims and survivors have been let down by the entire justice system - the police, the CPS and juries - who have all demonstrated victim blaming and rape myth mind sets when making their decisions.  This has had traumatising and life altering outcomes for the victims and survivors, and their families.

Alarmingly, this inaction has enabled rapists to walk free and reoffend with impunity.  Rape has been decriminalised in the UK.  We are not safe and we live in a society with unchecked sex offenders. Sex offenders typically go on to reoffend.  Police and the CPS have, in effect, created more victims through their inaction by not charging rapists and putting them to trial.

We demand justice for those whose cases have been dropped and we want to see rapists brought to trial.