Harriet Harman

Harriet Harman has said the government is determined to ensure that more rapists are successfully prosecuted for their crimes.

The solicitor general's comments came as a the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) published a new document giving advice to prosecutors on how to handle rape cases.

Harman, the government's second most senior law officer, also indicated her opposition to moves that would grant anonymity to defendants in sex crime cases.

She said that anonymity should be granted to all defendants, or none at all.

"The home secretary has said he's looking at whether there should be greater anonymity," she said.

"It will either be for everybody or nobody. I think that if there's going to be anonymity for defendants, it needs to be for all defendants and not just rape defendants."

She warned that limiting anonymity to rape cases would make it appear that the victim was more likely to be lying about the accusation. "There is no evidence to support that," Harman said.

The solicitor general also made clear the government is determined to drive up prosecution rates for serious sex crimes.

"Whether committed by a stranger or a friend, work colleague or partner, rape is a callous, brutal attack which leaves the victim - and very often those around the victim such as family and friends - profoundly affected," she said.

"Yet although the number of rapes reported to the police has increased dramatically over the years, it is clear that very many rape victims still don't go to the police or, if they do, find themselves unable to go through with the court proceedings in which they will usually be the most important and essential witness.

"Rape is still less likely to be reported, less likely to result in a charge and less likely to be prosecuted than other serious crimes."

She said the new policy showed the CPS would take rape allegations seriously, encouraging more victims to come forward.

The director of public prosecutions, Ken Macdonald QC, said the document would "show that we take all allegations of rape seriously, whatever the sex, culture, race or sexual orientation of the victim".