Just over one in 50 reports of a rape in Sussex went to court in the last year.

Home Office figures show that just 2.1 per cent of rape offences reported in Sussex resulted in a charge or court summons, with only 41 cases out of nearly 2,000 going to court.

A sexual abuse charity called the figures “disheartening” for victims, adding that “epidemic levels of sexual violence and abuse have gone on long enough”.

According to the figures, covering the 12 months to the beginning of April, over 40 per cent of reported cases did not make it to court due to “evidential difficulties”.

In the vast majority of these cases this was because the victims of the crimes did not support a charge.

Of the rape offences recorded in Sussex, 46 per cent were not assigned an outcome as of March, meaning they were still under investigation.

The trend in Sussex is slightly below the national average, where 2.6 per cent of rape offences went to court.

Sexual abuse charity Survivors Network, which helps victims of rape and sexual abuse in Brighton and Sussex, called the figures “disheartening” for victims and called for a “more survivor-centred” legal system.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: “It is a complex picture that comes together to create these poor outcomes.

“Often people are unaware that there are many contributing factors that result in a case not being charged, and a case reaching court will do so largely on an assessment of how likely a jury is to prosecute based on the evidence; a model that often relies on the unrealistic idea that juries do not hold preconceptions about survivors of sexual violence.

“We see many misconceptions, victim-blaming narratives and myths about survivors of sexual violence entrenched within our society which often affects the outcomes of the legal process.

“These are crimes that are facilitated by factors such as a perpetrator being able to gain the trust of someone, and taking place behind closed doors, generally between two people - our current justice system, and indeed many of the public, struggle with responding to such circumstances.

“We appreciate the importance of evidence, however, the epidemic levels of sexual violence and abuse have gone on long enough and we need to find more effective ways to respond.

“Regardless of your situation, our message remains the same: we believe you, and we are here to support you.”

Data for crime outcomes across Sussex show that the proportion of charges in sexual offences cases is lower than in any other category of offence.

Drugs and weapons offences are the most likely to see a charge.

Under five per cent of all reported crimes resulted in charges in Sussex in the last 12 months, compared to 6.4 per cent nationally.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "Sussex Police takes all reports of rape extremely seriously and are committed to putting victims at the heart of investigations by providing them with specialist support whilst we seek to bring perpetrators to justice.

"It is accepted nationally that these are complex crimes and we know charges and conviction rates have to improve. We are fully engaged with the national action plan under Operation Soteria, having joined the scheme at the earliest opportunity as an expansion force.

"The plan has a structured approach that looks at the whole picture, helping investigators to identify and produce the evidence that overcomes the suspect’s reliance on the defence of consent.

"The data relates to offences that we both recorded and finalised in the last financial year and 46 per cent of these (904 investigations) remain under investigation and we would expect further charges to be achieved.  On this basis, as we would usually report on a solved proportion, the charge rate both nationally and for Sussex alone is considerably higher than indicated.

"The force has a number of initiatives in progress to improve the quality of rape investigations and service offered to victims, which are already showing a steady increase in charges and solved cases.

"Our message to victims of rape and serious sexual offences is to report to police – you will be listened to and receive specialist support whilst we thoroughly investigate perpetrators to bring them to justice."

If you have been affected by the content of this article and need support, options and resources are available on the Survivors Network website.

You can get in touch via email at info@survivorsnetwork.org.uk, or by leaving a message on 01273 203380.