Raab also downplayed statistics that show less than 1.4% of alleged rapes are prosecuted, saying most crime data is examined at the point of charge.
“The conviction rate statistics are often, I’m afraid, rather skewed,” he said. “If you look at the normal way that people measure the conviction rate – as a proportion of the number of prosecutions that are launched – actually once you get to court, there is more or less around a 70% chance of conviction.
“The challenge we’ve got is the reporting of cases … through to the preparation of the file that goes to the CPS and then the decision to prosecute… the critical thing is getting the cases to trial with the evidence to secure that conviction.”