An alleged victim of child sex abuse has spoken of her despair after being told at the eleventh hour that the case had been adjourned until 2026.

The woman, who is in her 30s, was initially told the trial was going to take place at Ipswich Crown Court in 2022 but after it was adjourned she was given further dates in 2023 and 2024 - only for them to be adjourned as well.

Now she has been told the case will not take place until 2026.

She says that each time the trial has been adjourned she has only been told a few days before.

The case was due to start on Monday but the woman was told this would not go ahead due to lack of court space, no judge to hear the case and lack of barrister availability.

She said: "Being a victim of childhood sexual violence comes with its own trauma but the court process feels like another trauma in itself.

"After the delay in 2023 I fell hard and so this year I decided to seek out therapy to help before the trial in 2024.

"When I started therapy my depression and anxiety scales were moderate, these in time improved to become mild but once the trial was put off for a third time, these became severe.

"The impact of these delays has been unimaginable on both my mental and physical health. Being a victim of sexual violence, you have had control taken away from you and the court process feels like it mirrors this. 

"You use all of your energy building yourself up, preparing for trial only to get totally knocked and it feels like you fall down lower and it is harder to come back up," she said.

Despite all the setbacks she says she is determined to see the trial process through to its conclusion.

Due to the backlog of cases in the criminal justice system, trials at Ipswich Crown Court where the defendant is on bail, are currently facing an 19 month delay with cases being currently listed in May 2026.

Recent efforts to reduce the backlog include judges hearing Ipswich Crown Court cases at Colchester magistrates court and cases from west Suffolk being transferred to Cambridge Crown Court.

Based in Ipswich, Brave Futures is a specialist support service for children and young people in Suffolk and Norfolk who have experienced sexual abuse.

Ginny Ryan is Brave Futures team manager for Suffolk.

“The sad reality is that so few child sexual abuse cases make it to court, but for those that do, the long wait for a hearing can cause immense distress and anxiety for the child," she said. 

"These delays mean that children often live in constant fear of encountering their perpetrator and face the uncertainty of not knowing what the outcome will be.

"When court dates are postponed, it’s especially devastating for a child who has been preparing themselves emotionally for the trial. These setbacks can lead to children losing trust in the system and the professionals supporting them, and risking disengagement from the services they so desperately need.”

Victim Support is an independent charity that provides free, confidential support to the victims of crime and traumatic events in England and Wales.

Rachel Almeida, assistant director, said: “Long waits for trial are causing considerable stress and anxiety for victims in Suffolk and across the country. Many tell us that they feel like their life is on hold and that they find it hard to move on while they are waiting for justice.

“We are calling on the government to tackle these delays as a matter of urgency and get wait times under control. Victims deserve nothing less.”