Cameron vows tougher rape sentences

Unveiling figures showing England and Wales had the lowest rape conviction rate of any leading European country, he warned offenders now thought they could "get away with it".

And he said pupils should be taught that "no means no" in sex education lessons to help reverse a "moral collapse" fuelled by a growing sexualisation of society.

The party's figures showed the number of complaints leading to a conviction in England and Wales was up to 12 times lower than in other countries. According to the most recent comparable statistics, the rate was 5.1%, in contrast with 59.3% in Ireland, 48.8% in Italy and 20.1% in the Netherlands - although it has now risen to 5.8%.

"How can any civilised country, that sees the sanctity of consent to sex as a vital right for every woman, accept these facts?" Mr Cameron asked. "And what about when the perpetrator is convicted? The average custodial sentence handed to rapists in England and Wales has fallen over the last three years for which there is published data to around 80 months.

"Given all this, we have a situation where rapists think they can get away with it, while victims fear not being believed and wonder what's the point of pursuing the criminal process. This represents a real challenge to the British criminal justice system."

Citing the case of 16-year-old rape victim Lindsay Armstrong - who committed suicide after seeing her attacker convicted - Mr Cameron said more support was also vital.

There were now just 45 rape crisis support centres left running, meaning victims faced waiting lists of up to seven months and travelling 100 miles or more, he said.

"Even the rape crisis centres that have remained open - like so many other charities - are plagued by volatile and short-term funding, with funding decisions often made mid-way through the financial year. As a result, these centres are forced to survive hand-to-mouth and often face the threat of imminent closure.

"All this has led to an appalling and tragic lack of support for the victims of rape. For many women, the nearest centre is one hundred miles away."