Impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on criminal justice journeys of adult and child survivors of sexual abuse, rape, and sexual assault

在截至2020年3月的一年中，警方记录了超过15万起性犯罪(国家统计局，2020年)，有迹象表明，封锁增加了一些性犯罪(例如，网上协助的虐待、家庭成员犯下的性虐待)，减少了其他性犯罪(例如，陌生人/同龄人的侵犯)。然而，还没有关于新冠肺炎对刑事司法系统与性犯罪有关的政策和做法的具体影响的研究，也没有关于这一时期幸存者通过刑事司法系统的旅程的研究。在大流行之前，性犯罪的调查和起诉面临重大挑战，定罪率极低。其中一些挑战很可能因新冠肺炎和封锁而加剧，例如进一步推迟调查案件，推迟达成最佳证据面谈。然而，与此同时，新冠肺炎也在CJS内部产生了重大创新，例如在法院内引入了一个视频平台，使刑事听证会各方能够安全和远程地参与，这可能会为改善CJS幸存者的旅程播下种子。借鉴CJS利益相关者的观点和经验，包括投诉人和家庭、警察、皇家检察院、英国皇家法院和审裁处、司法机构、性侵犯转介中心和独立的性暴力顾问，这项研究将为CJS在性犯罪案件中对CJS的影响提供独特的见解。新冠肺炎推动的程序变化可能会为幸存者和利益相关者带来更长期的好处，我们的目标是确定这些变化并促进其实施。

Over 150,000 sexual offences were recorded by the police in the year ending March 2020 (ONS, 2020), and there are indications that lockdown increased some sexual offences (e.g. online-facilitated abuse, sexual abuse perpetrated by family members) and decreased others (e.g. assaults by strangers/peers). However, there has been no research into the specific effects of Covid-19 on criminal justice system (CJS) policies and practices relating to sexual offences, nor on the journeys of survivors through the CJS during this period. Prior to the pandemic, there were significant challenges for the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences and conviction rates were extremely low. Some of these challenges may well have been exacerbated by Covid-19 and lockdown e.g. further delays to investigating cases, postponement of Achieving Best Evidence interviews. At the same time, however, Covid-19 has generated significant innovation within the CJS e.g. the introduction of a video platform within the courts enabling all parties in a criminal hearing to engage securely and remotely, and this may sow the seeds for improvement in survivors' journeys through the CJS.Drawing on the perspectives and experiences of CJS stakeholders, including complainants and families, police, Crown Prosecution Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Services, the Judiciary, Sexual Assault Referral Centres, and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, this research will provide unique insights into the impact of the pandemic on the CJS in sexual offence cases. Changes to procedures precipitated by Covid-19 might offer longer-term benefits for survivors and stakeholders and we aim to identify these and promote their implementation.