The number of arrest warrants issued for defendants who skip court in England and Wales has surged by nearly 50% since 2020, reaching almost 60,000 last year, according to data obtained by Channel 4's Dispatches program. This further highlights the crisis in the criminal justice system, with over 30,000 failure-to-appear warrants now outstanding, meaning tens of thousands of criminals could be on the run after being charged.
Outstanding Warrants and Serious Offences
More than 7,000 of the outstanding warrants were issued before 2020, indicating that some individuals have been evading justice for six years or more. Over a quarter of these warrants relate to category A offences, the most serious and complex cases including rape, armed robbery, and manslaughter.
Former Justice Secretary's Warning
Former justice secretary Alex Chalk KC described the situation as a "horror show," noting that delays in the justice system give defendants more opportunity to disappear. He warned that a defendant accused of a serious crime like rape might flee abroad if their trial is delayed for years. Chalk stated that he had informed then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the impending crisis but was ignored, leading to a falling out between the two.
Rape Victims Withdrawing from Prosecutions
The number of rape victims pulling out of prosecutions before trial has more than doubled in recent years amid record delays in the courts system. The crown court backlog stood at over 80,000 cases at the end of last year, more than double pre-pandemic levels, and is expected to reach 100,000 by 2028. The prison population is also projected to hit 100,000 by the end of the decade, more than double the figure in 1990.
Failure-to-Appear Warrants in Crown Courts
Dispatches found that failure-to-appear warrants in crown courts, where the most serious cases are heard, increased by 134% from 6,808 in 2020 to 15,963 in 2024. Using open-source intelligence, the documentary makers tracked down five of the UK's most wanted criminals, wanted for offences including shootings, stabbings, major drug trafficking, and multimillion-pound insider trading.
Case Study: Ersin Mustafa
One of them, Ersin Mustafa, who was on the National Crime Agency (NCA)'s most-wanted list for alleged insider trading, said from North Cyprus: "They know I'm here … The most they've done is send me an email."
Case Study: Rashid Ali
Rashid Ali, who had been in the UK on a student visa, fled to Pakistan after striking and killing Jack Ryan, a 29-year-old father-to-be. He was found guilty in his absence of death by dangerous driving and sentenced to five years in prison. The filmmakers uncovered that Ali appeared to have returned to the UK unchallenged while having a warrant out for his arrest. Ryan's sister, Ciara, expressed her loss of faith in the justice system, stating, "It's not working. It hasn't worked for five years for my family."
Data Limitations and Responses
In response to freedom-of-information requests, 27 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales provided data for the number of failure-to-appear warrants issued from 2020 to 2025, meaning the actual number from last year is likely higher than the 59,153 recorded. Similarly, three forces did not provide data for outstanding warrants, which among the other 40 forces totalled 31,303.
The NCA has removed Mustafa from its most-wanted list but stated that it pursues fugitives "wherever they are in the world" and that "there are no safe havens for criminals." The Ministry of Justice said bail conditions are a matter for the courts, including the surrender of passports where appropriate, and that it is working on changes to address the crown court backlog. The Crown Prosecution Service said it opposes bail applications if there are substantial grounds to believe a defendant would not attend court.
