The NAO found that, to date, the Home Office has made little progress developing measures to prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).58 The Home Office told us that it expects that reported rates of VAWG will increase initially due to an increase in trust in the system.59 However, stakeholders told the NAO that they were concerned about the capacity that exists in the rest of the criminal justice system to manage this increased demand.60 This issue is exacerbated by other challenges faced by the wider justice system such as the lack of prison spaces and crown court backlogs. In the first quarter of 2024–25, the mean number of days from police referring a rape case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and the CPS authorising a charge was 158 days, compared to a mean average of 46 days for all crime.61 Although it is important that survivors receive adequate support, and whilst acknowledging that this plays an important role in preventing revictimization, to achieve long–term, sustainable change, VAWG needs to be prevented in the first instance. Evidence submitted by the Local Government Association calls for a well–coordinated approach to tackling VAWG, that prioritises the reduction of future costs to the criminal justice system and health services.62