Alison Saunders, the former director of public prosecutions, apologised after disclosure issues ended four rape trials ANDREW MATHEWS/PACourts were forced to formally acquit thousands of defendants last year after prosecutors failed to offer any evidence, The Times has learnt. The cases did not go to trial because crucial witnesses failed to turn up or refused to give evidence or because important evidence was missing. Data from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the independent prosecuting authority for England and Wales, showed that it failed to offer evidence in one in 20 of the cases it pursued, including 11,993 occasions where a victim failed to attend court, retracted their accusation or refused to provide evidence, 2,848 where there were conflicts in prosecution evidence and 573 cases where the CPS had made a incorrect charging decision. The CPS was criticised this year after four rape…

Source: The Times December 17, 2018 06:56 UTC