OLDHAM’S Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups have reacted to shocking data that reveals just 1.1 per cent of rape reports in Oldham last year led to a charge.

A freedom of information request submitted by The Oldham Times revealed that from January to December last year there were 296 reported rapes in the borough and just three resulted in a suspect being charged.

Saddleworth West and Lees Liberal Democrat councillor, Sam Al-Hamdani said the figures point to a “systematic failure” from the “top of Government through the police force”.

“All too often, the same story is heard, that the traumatic experience of trying to report the crime to someone who is untrained or unsympathetic is too much for the victims and having to hand over private details – such as unlocked mobile phones which are taken away by the police – just adds to the pain and the sense of invasion.

“For this to change, we need consistency at every level of Government and policing to show survivors of rape that there is support; that they will be listened to; and that everything is being done to help them deal with that process”, he added.

In response to the data, Royton North councillor Dave Arnott, who represents the Conservatives, said: “The percentage of rapes reported to the police that result in a charge, summons, or conviction makes for very worrying reading.

“Rape, sexual assault, and any form of violence against women is heinous and quite rightly appals the public. It is also a complex and emotive subject which is and should remain very high on the agenda for the council and GMP.

“Any initiative or proposal to support the victims of rape and sexual violence, and to increase the rate of prosecution and conviction would be fully supported by the Conservatives.”

A report published by the Home Affairs Select Committee last week, called on ministers to “go much further, much faster and drive change in how rape and sexual offences are handled in policing, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the courts to create a significant increase in the volume of prosecutions and convictions”.

Among a series of recommendations made in the report, the committee called for police to be given the funding to get the equipment and skills to ensure rape victims do not have their phones removed for evidence-gathering for more than 24 hours.

A Government spokesperson has said the Government is “overhauling” how rape reports are dealt with and recruiting 20,000 police officers to make the process “less intrusive” and to give victims the confidence their cases will be “rigorously pursued with support available at every stage”.

The spokesperson added: “At the same time, we are investing almost half a billion pounds to deliver swifter justice, consulting on a Victims’ Law to hold justice agencies to account and boosting funding for victims’ services to £185 million a year.”