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Women from marginalised communities who go to the police for help after experiencing rape or other forms of gendered violence are being denied access to interpreters and translators, given documents they can't read and even told that the police can't do anything to protect them from their perpetrator.
A defendant’s pleas to allegations of child rape could not be taken – as there were only two interpreters in the UK able to speak his native tongue and neither were free to attend Oxford Crown Court.
A series of trials were adjourned due to lack of available court space or, in one case, difficulties sourcing a qualified interpreter.
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spent £21.3 million on translators in the last year alone.
The interpreters are used for suspected criminals, victims and crime witnesses.
A record £1.2 m was spent on providing bilingual staff on Albanian suspects.
