HUNDREDS of crime victims have got justice after forcing over-cautious prosecutors to press charges.

       Killers, thugs and sex offenders were among those almost let off the hook.

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       Hundreds of crime victims have got justice after forcing over-cautious prosecutors to press charges Credit: Getty

       They were punished only because the people hurt by their crimes launched their own to fight to bring them to court.

       Official figures reveal that 380 cases went through the courts in the past two years after the Crown Prosecution Service had originally decided to take no action.

       Some 213 ended in convictions that would never have been secured had the victims not stepped in.

       This happened by people using the Victims’ Right to Review — a scheme launched in 2013 that allows those affected by crime to challenge rulings.

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       Six crimes which resulted in death led to a defendant being convicted only after the CPS was pressured to act.

       There were also 41 sex offence convictions and 12 frauds.

       Victims’ Commissioner Dame Vera Baird said: “We have seen some shocking charging decisions.

       "These cases raise serious questions for the CPS and its decision-making.”

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       But the CPS claimed: “Of more than 185,000 decisions eligible for appeal, only 0.26 per cent were overturned.