Looking into the Attrition Rate in Rape Cases
To hear 3-minute extended interviews with "Anna" and"Alex"
click on the "AUDIO" files to the right of this column
This is not a "rape" website. It is not a legal website. It does not provide councilling or advice on what to do if you have been raped and nor does it take sides.
Who you feel are the "victims" of the cases included on this site will be determined by who you are as a reader, what your experiences have been, who you believe and how you have come to make those decisions.
What this website examines is the "grey areas".
This website looks into the 86% of cases of rape that are reported in the UK without even reaching court and the further 8% of cases that reach court but do not secure a conviction.
In the UK, only 5.6% of reported cases of rape end in a conviction each year.
The discrepancy between the number of reported rapes and the number of convictions is known as the "attrition" rate, and the UK has one of the worse attrition rates in the world. Only Ireland secures fewer convictions.
Part of the problem is that rape is notoriously difficult to prove. Generally, it happens between two people, within four walls and without witnesses. Add in other factors such as alcohol and a public lack of awareness of exactly what constitutes rape, and the problem becomes exaggerated further.
The information on this website is designed to inform; to raise awareness of the issues involved in rape cases and to make you think again about what you believe you know about the people involved.
This website is not about beliefs. This website is about convictions.