‘I was groomed and abused by a taxi driver. Why was it so hard to get justice?’

It all started when Lucy* was just nine years old. A taxi driver who worked for her parents began sexually harassing her while taking her to and from school every day.

The sickening abuse, which lasted until he was 13, affected him deeply. She was afraid of what might happen to her if she spoke out, so she suffered in silence until she revealed what had happened to her to the police when she was 27.

She would not come face to face with the defendant until she was 31, and had spent the last two decades struggling with her mental health and trauma until she decided to report him to police in 2017.

But it will be nearly three years before her abuser comes to court, with Lucy left traumatized after being “horribly treated” by the justice system, which she believes prioritizes perpetrators over victims.

The landmark Victims and Prisoners Bill received Royal Assent two years ago, but charities have warned that millions of survivors have yet to benefit from the changes and are missing out on entitlements.

Under the Victims Act, criminal justice institutions have a duty to monitor and report on how well they are ensuring the rights of victims; However, support services have not yet been strengthened and key provisions have not come into force.

Research from the NSPCC and Victim Support found just over a quarter (27 per cent) of victims recalled being referred to specialist support services, and less than half of victims believed they could get justice.

While Lucy was grateful that the detective in her case was able to obtain enough evidence to charge her abuser, their approach was “not trauma-informed” and she was repeatedly told that her abuser had little chance of going to court.

Once after her arrest, the detective came to her family’s home and told her that her abuser “seemed like a very nice guy.”

“And I said, ‘They don’t have a rapist or a pedophile glued to their forehead, right?’ “I thought,” he said. “Why did you say that?” I thought.

He was asked to give five different statements containing the same details throughout the investigation, and he only met with the prosecutor 10 minutes before taking the witness stand.

Before the hearing, he was informed that the hearing would be held at Kingston Crown Court and was offered the chance to visit the courtroom to familiarize himself with it. But three days before it was due to start, she was told the abuser would be moving to Isleworth to attend to his health needs, and there was no time for him to visit.

“When you say it now, it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when you’re going through it, it’s the biggest thing in the world,” he said.

“All of this is being done to benefit the perpetrator, and I don’t think that’s fair. He can meet with the defense attorney and review everything, and I’m meeting with the prosecutor 10 minutes ago.”

At one point during the trial, a problem arose with a juror and Lucy was taken to a side room and left without water, food or phone for four hours and was instructed not to leave.

“I was on the podium for two days and I can’t really explain the feeling of being there. It was terrifying and I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy,” he said.

“They make you doubt yourself, they make you look like a liar, I got so angry that I had a panic attack and passed out because I couldn’t breathe.”

Two weeks later she was phoned to tell her the harasser had been convicted of eight offenses and was advised not to attend the sentencing because “it wouldn’t be the right thing to do”. He spent nine years in prison and remains behind bars.

In the following months he was offered no support and was not referred to specialist services, and his mental health deteriorated. “You would think that when justice is served you would want to celebrate, but I felt confusion, guilt, sadness, all kinds of emotions. I didn’t feel happy,” he said.

Last May, she was informed that her abuser was up for parole, and her request to do so herself was denied. In addition, a date was determined for him to be on holiday in Spain, and it was announced that if he could not come, the holiday would continue without him.

“The probation officers are so bad, I had four in one year and none of them spoke to me on the phone, only by email. “I had to read my impact statement on my holiday in Spain because I knew this was going to continue without me.

“He will be up for parole again this year and is expected to be released in 2028. I asked to take his photo but was refused and they won’t give me any information. I don’t want his National Insurance number, I want an updated photo of a man requesting to return to a hometown 4km away from me.”

In a joint letter to Victims Commissioner Catherine Atkinson, some charities warned that if the Code was not enforced victims would be “deprived of access to the information and support that not only they need but are entitled to”.

Charities including Victim Support, NSPCC, SafeLives, Catch22, Child Sexual Exploitation Centre, Action for Children and the Children’s Society have called on the government to “waste no more time in delivering on its duty” to criminal justice organizations to co-operate with the rollout of support services.

Katie Kempen, Chief Executive of Victim Support, said: “It is inconceivable to think that two years on we are still waiting for vital measures to be implemented. We know that criminal justice agencies such as the police routinely fail to ensure these vital rights are protected – which is exactly why this legislation is so important.”

“Without it, the Victims Act has no teeth.

“Millions of people face crime across the country every year. Supporting and protecting these people must be the government’s priority. This law contains many promises for victims, but this promise will not be fulfilled unless it is enacted.”

“We call on the government to ensure that victims’ rights are properly supported, implemented and accessible to all victims of crime. Victims and survivors deserve nothing less.”

NSPCC Policy Manager Elizabeth Crowhurst said: “Every child going to the courts deserves to have their rights under the Victims Act upheld and supported at every step of the process, but this is far from the reality for many young victims and witnesses.

“The Victims and Prisoners Act promised much-needed change and it is appalling that two years later these vital reforms have still not been delivered. “This means that hundreds of thousands of child victims are still fundamentally let down by the criminal justice system and unable to access the specialized and specialist support they need.

“That is why we stand with Victim Support, along with partners in our Young Victims and Witnesses Coalition, and call on the government to take urgent action to avoid further delays in introducing these measures.”

*Names have been changed to protect identities

Rape Crisis offers support to those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them in England and Wales on 0808 802 9999, in Scotland on 0808 801 0302 and in Northern Ireland on 0800 0246 991 or visit their website at: www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you’re in the US, you can call Rainn at 800-656-HOPE (4673).