Response to Consultation Paper Issued by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform Entitled Convicting Rapists and Protecting Victims – Justice for Victims of Rape, Spring 2006

Abstract

My area of expertise is delayed or historic prosecutions of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Many, although not all of these cases involve rape. The vast majority of these complainants will be adults at the time of trial. It is difficult, therefore, to separate out these cases from rape prosecutions involving incidents which occurred when the complainant was an adult. In this response I argue in favour of the recommendations made in Chapters 4 and 5 of the consultation paper, with the exception of the limitation in Chapter 4 to rape cases, which unfairly discriminates against victims of sexual assault and sexual abuse who were not raped.

Keywords: rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, delayed prosecution, historic prosecution, childhood sexual abuse, consultation response