Northern Ireland Rape Trial review

[IStandWithPosie]

gillenreview.org/

Guardian summary of the review here

Sounds positive. Especially jury training to dispel rape myths, legal representation for the victim and closed court.

Fair dues to him, especially pushing for legal representation for complainants and wanting to move towards explicit expression of consent.

I'm disappointed this thread hasn't had more engagement on a feminism board.

Good to read the Guardian piece he speaks very strongly for change and makes it personal to the victims humanising them

I will be interested to see thu outcome and if any of his recommendations get put in place and whether we can then press for change in the rest of the UK

Interesting article thanks op.

more on disclosure

I was shocked when I discovered that it's only victims who are expected to give the police access to mobile phone data, social media chat logs etc, but not suspects.

My family knows John Gillen. He's a decent bloke. Really pleased to see this.

What?

If they are allowed to pick over every aspect of a victims life since they were children,
Why aren't they allowed to look at the accused as well?

I'm sure blokes on the net will have a gazillion reasons as to why this is fair and awesome, I don't buy it though.

This is "perfect victim" to the max >>> one foot wrong in your whole life to show that you have ever had casual sex, kinky fantasies, anything, and you can say goodbye to any kind of action if you are raped.

Reminds me of that case where a woman was gang raped and the men got off as she had shared fantasies with one of them >>> judge and juror seemed to think fantasy about group sex = comsent to be gang raped by a bunch of strangers.

Perfect victim is right.

Not only in behaviour / character, but in how you communicate.

I reported a rape to a police force and was told by a DCI that because I was articulate and intelligent I would "make an excellent witness".

Which rather suggests that if you are neither of those things nobody will believe you.

(my case wasn't passed to CPS, by the way, because it was my word against his).

Put like that, Materialist, it's astounding that it's presented any other way.

My oldest is 12 and starting to show an interest in girls. I'm starting with 'no one owes you a smile, a date or anything else' with the aim of building up to 'if its not an enthusiastic yes, it's a no'. I am not happy to think that he doesn't actually need to follow this to stay on the right side of the law.

Thank you for sharing this. Very interesting article.

In the US, some female attorneys have suggested the legal procedure be change such that “she consented” is an affirmative defence, meaning it must be proved and so the accused must testify to that

This is how it should be. Saying “she consented” is introducing evidence which must be proven. Just like if an accused said I didn’t rape her because I was in [other town], they would have to provide evidence to prove that because they are using it as their defence. If they choose to say “she consented” as their defence the onus should be on them to prove it.