RAPE case experts are to take up jobs in West Yorkshire to help victims fight for justice.
Two specialist advocates are being recruited by the Crown Prosecution Service as part of a scheme to improve the way rape cases are handled.
The legal experts will provide advice to the police before alleged rapists are charged and throughout the prosecution process.
They will also personally prosecute rape cases in court and manage them from `cradle to grave' to ensure evidence is robust.
The move comes as latest figures show that only a small proportion of rape allegations in West Yorkshire result in conviction.
Dr Helen Gavin, head of psychology at Huddersfield University, welcomed the move.
She said: "It is a start; at least small steps are being made.
"We talk a lot about closure and conviction is one of the ways things can be closed for a victim.
"If the person is not behind bars you don't know whether they are going to get you or your family.
"But there is no justice if people don't believe you.
"Rape is the unwitnessed crime and there is often very little evidence, except for the victim's body."
Dr Gavin called for better ways of dealing with rape victims, from when crimes were first reported through to prosecution.
She said: "Something should be changed to protect the victims .
"When you have been attacked and violated by a man the last thing you want to do is to be interviewed by a man.
"This system is not built for the victim. It is built for the defendant."
A recent national report, Without Consent, by the Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, outlined ways that police and prosecutors were failing to use measures to increase rape convictions.
Improvements are to be made, including better contact with victims, more joint working with police and prosecutors and improved use of measures such as screen and video interviews to help victims get justice.
Sir Ken Macdonald QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, said: "I am determined to improve the way we deal with these cases from start to finish.
"We owe it to the complainants - who are showing more confidence in coming forward - to do our best for them."
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said:
"We are proud of our record in tackling rape and serious sexual assault.
"But there is always room for improvement. Our practices and methods are being reviewed, to see where we can improve our work in these areas.
"We are committed to the development of sexual assault referral centres. Two are already in use and a third is planned.
"Also, we and our partner agencies have extremely skilled and highly trained people who deal with these matters."
