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The issue of lost, damaged, or missing evidence is causing thousands of criminal cases to collapse in England and Wales annually, according to data from the Crown Prosecution Service. Between October 2020 and September 2024, over 30,000 prosecutions faced this outcome, including 70 homicides and more than 550 sexual offences. Police chiefs mention that the reasons behind these collapses are varied, sometimes extending beyond just lost evidence to difficulties in finding expert witnesses or obtaining necessary medical statements.
Evidence storage, and its subsequent impact on criminal cases, has been a subject of concern following critical reports about police practices. Criminologists attribute the increase in collapsed cases to resource shortages resulting from police force cuts in the past decade. Former police officers deem the amount of evidence they handle as overwhelming, providing insight into the challenges they face in maintaining and storing crucial case materials.
The loss of a dedicated Forensic Science Service (FSS) in 2012 is highlighted as a key factor leading to the current situation where evidence handling issues are on the rise. Without a centralized forensic service, police forces struggle to manage evidence effectively, leading to backlogs and inefficiencies in handling crucial case materials. The closure of the FSS has meant that police forces have had to rely on their own storage arrangements and private providers for forensic services.
Recent reports have shed light on the deficiencies in police evidence storage practices, including concerns about the handling of digital evidence and the lack of infrastructure to support the management of physical exhibits. The Metropolitan Police Service, in particular, has been under scrutiny for issues such as evidence stored in substandard conditions. Efforts are being made to address these challenges, including proposals to establish a national forensic service and introduce stricter measures to prevent the mishandling of evidence
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