A free independent legal advice service for sexual violence complainants is to be expanded nationally after an evaluation of a London pilot found it helped people navigate parts of the criminal justice system more effectively.
The pilot, led by London mayor Sadiq Khan, was available to London residents aged over 16 who had reported sexual violence to the police. It provided advice on specific legal issues arising during investigations and prosecutions, including requests by police or prosecutors to access sensitive personal information.
The service also covered the Victims’ Right to Review scheme, complaints about the police or Crown Prosecution Service, limited advice on criminal injuries compensation eligibility and time limits, and other matters linked to complainants’ rights and interests.
An evaluation by Dr Olivia Smith, reader in criminology and social policy at Loughborough University, found strong demand for the service. The report said 247 complainants received support across 297 matters, and that the pilot “sometimes had to close to most referrals because demand exceeded capacity”.
The pilot was funded by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and delivered by Women & Girls Network, with legal supervision from the Centre for Women’s Justice. Solicitors employed by Women & Girls Network provided the advice after being recruited, trained and supervised by the centre. The organisation also delivered training on sexual violence, trauma and safeguarding.
The service began taking referrals in May 2024 and has been extended until December 2026. Smith’s report assessed the first two years of its operation and considered both the types of legal issues raised and the impact of the support on complainants’ experiences.
The most common area of support was general advice on criminal justice matters, accounting for 37% of legal help provided. Victims’ Right to Review cases made up 33%. The review scheme allows victims to ask police or prosecutors to reconsider certain decisions, such as a decision not to charge or to discontinue a case.
Complaints about the police, CPS or trial counsel accounted for 12% of the work. Requests for third-party material, such as information held by organisations outside the criminal justice agencies, made up 9%. Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority matters represented 6%, while issues involving digital devices accounted for 3%.
The evaluation concluded that the pilot “substantially improved” complainants’ experiences of the criminal justice process. It said clients described feeling heard, validated and better able to understand what was happening in their case.
According to the report, legal advice helped complainants identify what was lawful, what could be challenged and where their energy could be focused. It said the service enabled people to make more informed decisions and participate more meaningfully in proceedings that many found difficult to understand.
The report said the support helped address the sense of powerlessness that complainants often experience in the criminal justice system. It found that explaining rights, setting out options and advocating for clients made complainants feel more informed, more confident and more recognised as active participants.
Smith said the evaluation showed the effect that free and independent legal advice could have for sexual violence complainants. She said that in many cases the advice confirmed that police and prosecutors were acting properly, while in others it led to outcomes including broad evidence requests being withdrawn, cases being reopened and suspects being charged.
Khan said the London service had supported hundreds of vulnerable victims with legal help during their pursuit of justice. He said the government would use the London model for a national service so that victims and survivors of sexual violence could access similar legal support.
London’s Victims Commissioner, Andrea Simon, said the pilot had addressed a long-standing gap in support for victims in the capital. She said the criminal justice process could be lengthy, isolating and difficult to navigate, and that the national roll-out would help create greater consistency in support for victims of rape and serious sexual offences.
The cost of expanding the scheme nationally has not yet been disclosed. Further details are expected to determine how the service will operate outside London, including referral routes, capacity and the scope of legal issues covered.
The planned roll-out marks a significant development in the provision of independent legal support for sexual violence complainants, particularly in areas where decisions about evidence, review rights and complaints can affect how people engage with the criminal justice process.
