The Home Secretary is to publish proposals to
strengthen rape laws in the autumn.
David Blunkett told MPs in the Commons that it was
essential courts took "firm action wherever and whenever" they could.
He had earlier disclosed only 7% of reported rapes,
result in conviction.
But he dismissed calls for defendants in rape
trials to have the same right of anonymity as victims following the case
of Australian snooker star Quinten Hann.
During question time, Tory Andrew Mackay repeated
demands for alleged rapists to remain anonymous after Mr Hann was
cleared at the Old Bailey of raping a 21-year-old South African student
in London.
Mr Mackay said both defendants and victims should
remain anonymous "otherwise there is dreadful adverse publicity to
people who are often then found innocent - that cannot be right".
The Home Secretary said: "I think it would be a
great mistake if we made a judgment on the back of one case - the case
of Mr Hann."
The Government would instead publish proposals for
strengthening legislation for sex offences in the autumn and "legislate
as soon after as Parliament will allow". A working party had also been
formed representing the police, Crown Prosecution Service and court
service to look into rape prosecutions, he said.
Mr Blunkett added: "We recognise there is a great
deal more to do.
"We all accept that rape is a particularly heinous
crime. The legislative framework must enable us to take firm action
wherever and whenever we can."
Labour's Michael Clapham said 80% of rape victims
did not report the crime. "Now that cannot be good enough," he told
ministers. Mr Blunkett said only 7% of reported rapes resulted in
conviction with the number of defendants found guilty dropping from 68%
in 1997 to 29% in 2000.