RAPE victims have been subject to “shameful treatment” after statistics revealed yesterday that the time taken to charge rapists has more than doubled in eight years.

The wait between police submitting a rape case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the decision to charge rose from 32 days in 2010-11 to 78 days in 2017-18.

The statistics, which were shown to Labour after a written parliamentary question from shadow women and equalities minister Gloria De Piero, represent a 140 per cent increase in the time taken to charge rapists.

Shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti said: “This system failure is a shameful treatment of survivors’ human rights.

“Of course decisions should be considered carefully by the CPS, but such a long wait for a decision to charge reveals an entire system paralysed by self-doubt.

“This is bad news for complainants and defendants, and for the quality of justice.

“We simply must do better by survivors.”

Ms De Piero said: “Survivors of rape desperately need support and deserve immediate access to justice.

“This is just further evidence that the welfare of vulnerable victims is no more than an afterthought for the Tories.”

The findings come as the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition launched legal action against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) last week over an alleged failure to prosecute rape cases.

Only one in 25 reported rape cases are ending up in court because the CPS has “covertly” changed its policy on decision making on rape cases, the coalition argues.

EVAW co-director Rachel Krys said: “It is clear there needs to be an urgent and independent review of how the system responds to rape.

“From the massive increase in reports to the police to unfair scrutiny of phones and sexual history to delays at every stage, more people than ever are being denied justice after this very serious crime.”

A CPS spokesperson said: “Sexual offences are some of the most complex cases we prosecute and we train our prosecutors to understand victim vulnerabilities and the impact of rape, as well as consent, myths and stereotypes.

“Decisions to prosecute are based on whether our legal tests are met – no other reason – and we always seek to prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so.”