PMQs: Angela Rayner accuses Dominic Raab of failing rape victims

Labour's lawman person Angela Rayner has called connected Dominic Raab to apologise to rape victims for his "failures" arsenic justness secretary.

Ms Rayner, who was lasting successful for enactment person Sir Keir Starmer astatine PMQs, said the complaint charge for rape had "collapsed" nether his ticker to 1.6%.

Mr Raab said tackling rape was 1 of the government's "top priorities".

He added that it had accrued backing for victims and chopped the clip taken from complaint to completion of a case.

Pressing the justness caput and lawman premier curate implicit rape convictions, Ms Rayner said: "Women consciousness unsafe connected Britain's streets, ever looking implicit our enarthrosis arsenic we hurry to our beforehand door. Can helium archer maine nether his ticker arsenic justness secretary, what is the complaint charge for rape?"

Mr Raab replied: "She asks what we are doing astir it, since 2019 constabulary referrals of cases person doubled, CPS charges person doubled, she asks connected my ticker what has happened, the measurement of convictions successful rape cases has accrued by two-thirds."

He urged Labour to backmost planned parole reforms which would let ministers to artifact the merchandise of immoderate prisoners, saying this would assistance "protect susceptible women" and forestall rapists and perpetrators of different superior crimes from being released.

Ms Rayner deed back, saying: "He hasn't answered my question due to the fact that helium is excessively ashamed of the answer: 1.6% of rapists faced being charged for their transgression - 1.6%. Let that descend in."

She added: "More than half-a-million cases of rape person been recorded by the constabulary but the complaint charge for those attacks person collapsed. He has served nether 5 Tory premier ministers and had 3 years arsenic justness curate and connected his watch, rapists are near to roam the streets.

"So volition helium apologise to those victims who volition ne'er get justness due to the fact that of his failures?"

Responding to questions astir the numbers of radical convicted for rape, Dominic Raab said: "The condemnation complaint has gone up - it's present astatine 69%."

The condemnation complaint is the proportionality of radical prosecuted who extremity up being convicted.

But Labour's lawman person Angela Rayner responded: "69% of 1.6% - is that truly thing to boast about?"

The 1.6% is the proportionality of rapes recorded by constabulary that led to idiosyncratic being charged oregon ordered to look successful tribunal successful England and Wales successful the twelvemonth to September 2022.

Ms Rayner besides utilized PMQs to rise the ongoing bullying enquiry against Mr Raab and urged him to "walk earlier he's pushed".

Mr Raab is facing 8 ceremonial complaints implicit his behaviour during his clip arsenic overseas secretary, Brexit caput and his archetypal stint arsenic justness secretary.

The investigation, which was launched by the premier curate successful November and is being led by elder lawyer Adam Tolley KC, is expected to reason soon.

Ms Rayner said: "This week the authorities announced their alleged anti-social behaviour policy, it's lone taken 13 years and, look I'll springiness him immoderate credit, the lawman premier curate knows archetypal manus the misery caused by thugs and their intimidating behaviour.

"Lurking with menace, exploding successful fits of rage, creating a civilization of fearfulness and possibly even, I don't know, throwing things. So tin I inquire him nether his caller anti-social behaviour [policy] does helium deliberation much bullies volition beryllium brought to justice?"

Referring to comments made by Ms Rayner successful 2021, when she described Conservatives arsenic "scum", Mr Raab replied: "I tin reassure the House that I've ne'er called anyone scum."

He has antecedently powerfully denied allegations of bullying and insisted helium has "behaved professionally throughout".

The brace were deputising for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour person Sir Keir, who were some attending the ceremonial of erstwhile Commons talker Baroness Betty Boothroyd.