Ministers have been accused of 'failing the first test' on supporting rape victims, after Tory MPs voted against a raft of measures to tackle violence against women and girls.
Justice Secretary Robert Buckland was accused of having made a "hollow apology" for the UK's dismal record of securing rape convictions, after the measures were voted down in a Commons committee last night.
Tory MPs voted against a series of proposals set out by Labour, including the full roll out of "Section 28", which will allow the cross-examination of vulnerable witnesses to be recorded rather than undertaken in court for victims of sexual offences.
Instead the government wants to "re-pilot" the measure, which has already been subject to two pilot schemes.
The measures also included tougher sentences for rape, stalking and domestic murder and backing calls to make misogyny a hate crime.
And they would have made street sexual harassment a specific criminal offence.
Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy said: “Robert Buckland has failed his first test to support rape victims after his hollow apology last week."
He added: “It is inexcusable that the Conservatives have voted against Labour’s proposals to make it easier for rape victims across the country to give evidence, to increase sentences for rapists and stalkers, as well as to create a new offence for street sexual harassment.
“Under the Conservatives, criminals have never had it so good.”
Meanwhile, Dame Vera Baird the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, said the Government's long-awaited RapeReview was "underwhelming" but also a "watershed" moment.
Giving evidence to the Commons Home Affairs Committee, she said: "There is a very large amount of kicking the can down the road, having more pilots, and causing delay, in there.
"Nonetheless, this is a watershed. As long as the strength of that (Government) apology ... survives, and is publicly scrutinised, I hope that we can really bring a change and push from the outside to improve some of the weaker recommendations in the Rape Review and drive the Government further."
Following the Rape Review, which was published last week, the Government pledged to reverse the alarming drop-off in prosecutions and convictions since 2016, despite a surge in people coming forward to report allegations.
Dame Vera described the current treatment of victims as "appalling".
