UK Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, says at least one courtroom is set to be rolled out in every Crown Court in England and Wales, to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years.

The UK government, in a statement on Monday, said the move is aimed at helping to hold more perpetrators to account, while ensuring that victims of rape and sexual offences get the justice they deserve faster, and encouraging more of them to report more cases.

“Victims of rape and sexual offences will get the justice they deserve, as their cases take priority and new specialist courts are rolled out across England and Wales, the Prime Minister has announced today.

“Backed by a multi-million cash injection, every Crown Court in England and Wales will get at least one courtroom especially set up to hear rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years, helping to hold more perpetrators to account.

“Transforming how the justice system treats the survivors of some of the most serious crimes, the changes are designed to encourage more victims to come forward, providing them with private entrances and waiting rooms as well as facilities equipped to pre-record evidence and observe sentencing remotely,” the statement read.

The UK government said rape and serious sexual offence cases will also now be prioritised in courts, while the trials will be given a fixed date as opposed to being placed on floating lists where they can be moved at short notice and delayed for months.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said, “For too long, victims of rape and serious sexual offences have felt let down by our justice system. Prosecution rates for rape remain shamefully low, with many victims waiting years for justice. 

“This is not good enough. That’s why we are making major changes to rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first. This includes rolling out specialist courtrooms for rape and serious sex offences.

“These changes are long overdue and will make a significant difference, but focusing on prosecution alone will not be enough. So as well as ensuring victims get justice, we will step up action to prevent these horrific crimes from happening in the first place.”

The statement explained that the changes will also see all court staff get trauma-informed training and a trial to give victims of sex offences a single point of contact to ensure their needs are met during the court process. 

It said the new measures also include a new Rape Justice Taskforce, drawing leaders from across the criminal justice system to tackle the rising rate of postponed rape trials and confront the myths that cause victims to withdraw from their own cases.

In 2025, rape cases took an average of 424 days to complete once they reached the Crown Court, with too many victims withdrawing before their cases were heard, but the new change, the government assured, “will mean victims get better support and face fewer delays, as the government continues to take decisive action to tackle violence against women and girls and deliver the justice that victims deserve.”

The UK government said the announcement builds on its pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and make sure the justice system puts victims front and centre.