RAPE and serious sex assaults allegations should be fast-tracked through the courts, Labour are demanding.
They warn that victims are being forced to wait for years sometimes to see justice done.
They want serious sexual offences to be prioritised for a slot in Britain’s backlogged courts.
The demand comes amid a national outcry over the threats posed to women following the killing of Sarah Everard.
Ellie Reeves, Labour’s Shadow Solicitor General, said the government has “let down victims”.
She said: “A decade of failure has weakened the foundations of our criminal justice system, leading to a near total collapse in rape prosecutions and delays of years getting to trial.
“Many survivors feel the system is working against them, not for them, and that is completely the wrong way round.”
Just 1.4 per cent of rape allegations are prosecuted, shocking official stats show.
This is the lowest on record.
Furious campaigners have warned that many victims are staying silent about their abuse because they have lost faith in the courts.
England’s courts now have a backlog of some 56,000 cases.
Labour say rape cases hang on the evidence of the victim, and leaving them to go unheard for many months or even years only harms the chances of getting a conviction.
Ministers have vowed to crack down on sexual abuse and harassment of women in the wake of Sarah’s killing.
They are urging women to come forward with their experiences of abuse and ideas for change.
Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins said “nothing is off the table” when it comes to making Britain’s streets safer.
Sarah, 33, disappeared after leaving a friend’s house in Clapham, South London, on the evening of Wednesday, March 3.
She was last seen on CCTV walking alone at about 9.30pm. Human remains discovered in woodland in Ashford, Kent, have been confirmed as Sarah’s.
Police have charged serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens with Sarah’s kidnap and murder.
Her death sparked events across the country, with thousands attending in-person and virtual vigils in her memory, and as a way of publicly urging for women’s safety on the UK’s streets.
But one event in Clapham turned ugly when a Met Police officer shoved a woman to the floor.
And hundreds of protesters gathered at the Met’s headquarters today after cops stormed the vigil.
Vigil organisers Reclaim These Streets said: “We believe that streets should be safe for women, regardless of what you wear, where you live or what time of day or night it is.
“We shouldn’t have to wear bright colours when we walk home and clutch our keys in our fists to feel safe.
“It’s wrong that the response to violence against women requires women to behave differently.
“In Clapham, police told women not to go out at night this week. Women are not the problem.”
