Giving evidence as a sex crime victim

[Catlover55]

Hi I have name changed for this incase it’s outing. Sorry if this is not the right place for this post.

earlier this year I was a victim of a sex crime, not a rape, a crime that involved someone taking very explicit photos of me without my knowledge. Thankfully I don’t think my face was visible, I have no idea if the man involved has shared them.

i reported the crime straight away as I caught him in the act and police have taken it very seriously and seized his phone. He was arrested and gave a no comment interview.

I have been told it could take another few months for cybercrime to take a look at his phone. I can’t stand this hanging over me all this time and I cannot stand the thought of giving evidence in court and being ripped apart by his defence team.

The crime happened in Scotland so I can’t drop or retract the charges.

Has anyone else here been a victim of a similar crime or any sexual crime and had to give evidence? Was it as horrendous as you thought it would be? What was the verdict? Please be honest, I need to know what I am in for.

thanks

I have no advice but I wanted to say how sorry I am that this happened to you.

I hope someone will be able to help.

have you spoken to the investigator about your fears they may be able to apply for measures which enable you to give evidence in another way?

I would talk it through with them and victim
support. I think barristers have began to understand that bullying the victim makes their client look even guiltier- but I am only talking from my friends experience

Thank you for the kind words x

I think as it’s a sex crime I am automatically classed as a vulnerable witness and should be offered a video link or screens blocking the accused from seeing me, it’s more the type of graphic questions that they actually ask and the reading out of my statement (which contains the explicit language used by the man who did it). The police haven’t been very helpful and it’s all moving so slowly as cybercrime are involved and they have a huge backlog.
i really wish I hadn’t bothered reporting it at all.
Im really sorry your friend went through something similar. X