CPS gives domestic abuse victims a dedicated contact

On 27 September 2026, the Attorney General’s Office announced that the Crown Prosecution Service will now make two pilot schemes permanent across every CPS Area. In plain terms, that means the support tested since 2023 is becoming the standard offer for victims in every part of England and Wales. (gov.uk) **What this means:** every victim of domestic abuse should have a dedicated victim liaison officer, and all victims should be able to choose whether the CPS contacts them by phone, email or post. The government also says victims should receive faster, better-quality correspondence. (gov.uk)

To understand why this matters, it helps to know what the CPS actually does. The CPS is the main public prosecution service in England and Wales. It works with the police and the courts, but it makes its decisions independently, and its job is to prosecute the right person for the right offence. (cps.gov.uk) In serious cases such as domestic abuse, the police send the evidence to the CPS, which then decides whether a suspect can be charged. Prosecutors use a two-stage test: is there enough evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, and is a prosecution in the public interest? (cps.gov.uk)

A victim liaison officer is there to make that prosecution stage less confusing. The CPS says these staff answer questions, provide updates, explain case decisions over the phone, and draft letters to victims. Its wider victim service standards also say staff should communicate with empathy, dignity and respect, and guide victims towards available support services. (cps.gov.uk) Just as important is what this role is not. A CPS liaison officer is not a victim’s personal lawyer, because the CPS prosecutes cases on behalf of the state rather than representing individual victims in court. That distinction can feel cold, but it is a basic part of how the criminal justice system in England and Wales is set up. (cps.gov.uk)

The reform has two layers. The CPS calls one the Universal Service, which covers all victims and includes being able to choose how the CPS contacts you. The second is the Enhanced Service for domestic abuse survivors, which adds a dedicated liaison officer from charge to trial. (gov.uk) That last phrase matters. This is support during the prosecution process, once a case reaches the CPS and charges are being considered or have been authorised. It does not replace the police role in investigating the offence, gathering evidence or being the first point of contact when abuse is reported. (cps.gov.uk)

This change did not appear from nowhere. The CPS says its Victims Programme was built after inspectorate work in 2018 and 2020 found problems with victim communication, including delays, poor quality and a lack of empathy. (cps.gov.uk) Since then, the CPS says it has been testing new ways of working, including direct updates, pre-trial meetings in rape and serious sexual offences cases, and training for staff who deal directly with victims, including trauma awareness. The domestic abuse rollout sits inside that bigger attempt to improve how the service speaks to people, not just what legal decisions it makes. (cps.gov.uk)

There is one limit you should keep firmly in view: better contact does not mean an automatic charge, and it does not mean a guaranteed conviction. A domestic abuse case still has to pass the CPS evidence and public interest test before it can go forward. (cps.gov.uk) The CPS also does not investigate crimes, make arrests, decide guilt or sentence offenders. Those jobs sit with the police, juries or magistrates, and judges. So this reform is about communication and support inside prosecution work, not about changing who has power over the whole case. (cps.gov.uk)

For readers trying to make sense of public institutions, that is the clearest way to read this announcement. From 27 September 2026, domestic abuse victims in England and Wales are meant to have a named CPS contact and more choice over how the prosecution service communicates with them. (gov.uk) If the system has often felt distant or full of closed doors, this is an attempt to make one part of it easier to understand. It will matter most if that promise is felt in real cases: fewer unanswered questions, clearer explanations, and less of the silence that so often makes justice feel out of reach. (gov.uk)