WALTHAM Forest has the fourth highest rape conviction rate in the capital, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has revealed.

Although the number of successful prosecutions for serious sexual crime has traditionally been low, Waltham Forest’s success rate has risen almost a fifth since last year, from 37.5 per cent of charges resulting in a conviction to 57.1 per cent.

And the borough’s specialist rape prosecutor, Margaret Morrisey, attributes the success to the fact there is only one person dealing with every case of serious sexual assault.

She said: “I think one of the reasons we’re so successful here is that there’s continuity - you don’t have other lawyers coming in and taking over bits and pieces.

“From a practical point of view, you’ve got contact with all the case workers as well. The statistics here are good because we keep a close eye on everything that’s going on.”

Miss Morrisey added the team dealing with such cases is made up of “highly motivated” people, who work hard to make sure they have a good chance of being successfully prosecuted.

“We have to have a standard of evidence to have a realistic prospect of success,” she said.

“I have conferences with counsel, with officers and sometimes the complainant. At these conferences, we will talk about any of the problems which haven’t been addressed.”

She added that if she feels the police have not gathered enough evidence or may need to pursue another line of inquiry, she can draw up a plan of action for them to follow.

Miss Morrisey also stated that when rape prosecutions are unsuccessful, it is not always because of a lack of evidence.

“There’s also the jury you’ve got to take into account,” she said.

“You might have good corroborating evidence but the jury might refuse to believe someone would do this terrible thing.”

During 2007/8, successful rape convictions nationally rose from 55 per cent to 58 per cent.

And Miss Morrisey also put out a call to those who have been victims of sexual crimes to come forward, assuring them they will be treated “sympathetically and professionally”.

She said: “It’s really important that the perpetrators are targeted so that women can be safer in the community.”