Thousands of police investigations dropped after suspects are identified because victims do not want to press charges

Figures released by the Home Office reveal more than 25,000 cases across both Staffordshire and West Midlands police forces were dropped between April and September 2018, despite a suspect having been identified by officers.

In the West Midlands victims refused to support police action in 16,142 cases where suspects were known, with 9,012 cases dropped in Staffordshire.

The majority of cases shelved in the West Midlands – 11,479 – involved violence against the person, which includes assault and grievous bodily harm. Staffordshire Police recorded 6,057 violence against the person cases being dropped, while other offences dropped across the two counties included rapes, robberies and sexual assaults.

The number of sexual offence cases which were closed, despite a suspect being identified, increased by 47 per cent over the two years in the West Midlands and 41 per cent in Staffordshire.

West Midlands Police was forced to drop 236 rape cases in 2016, as the victim did not want to continue the prosecution, compared with 399 in 2018.

Staffordshire Police was forced to drop 152 rape cases in 2016 compared with 219 in 2018.

The overall number of dropped cases where a suspect has already been identified has increased by 71 per cent since 2016 in the West Midlands and 38 per cent in Staffordshire.

Charities have warned that victims are "lacking confidence in the criminal justice system", which they argue is "completely failing victims and survivors of sexual offences."

Diana Fawcett, the chief officer of the Victim Support charity, said: “Trials can take a long time to complete – around nine months on average – and many victims feel that they want to move on with their lives without prolonged distress a trial may bring.

“Having to travel to court, which can be far due to increasing court closures, can have a financial and emotional impact and this can also deter victims and witnesses.”

Katie Russell, of Rape Crisis, added: "Fear of the criminal justice system, of being treated like the one on trial, of harsh cross-examination in court, and of humiliation or embarrassment through the use of personal information during the trial, are certainly among the reasons victims and survivors tell us they choose not to pursue justice.

"This is linked to deeply problematic evidence disclosure practices, whereby victims and survivors are obliged to hand over their mobile devices and huge volumes of personal data, often entirely unrelated to their case.

"It's clear from this data and other official statistics that the criminal justice system is currently completely failing victims and survivors of sexual offences."

A Government spokeswoman said: "We are working closely with police forces to look at ways to help forces better respond to reports of crime. We have also announced the biggest increase in police funding since 2010 and expect to see major progress in investigations as a result.

"We remain alert to changes in trends and new methods used by criminals and have taken decisive action to help prevent serious and violent crime taking place, through supporting community-based early intervention projects."