Big update on Rape Crisis legal challenge

[IamSarah]

I know many of you have been waiting for an update so first of all thank you for your patience and the many messages of support.

I am suing Survivors Network, the Sussex Rape Crisis service, as it refused to offer a single sex women’s group in addition to the mixed sex women’s groups. By mixed sex I mean inclusive of any males who identify as women.

I’ve been granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case and it was submitted to Brighton County Court today.

I am being represented by law firm Didlaw and my Barrister is Naomi Cunningham (Chair of Sex Matters). So far they have acted pro bono which I am incredibly grateful for as it has taken a lot of time. The team are confident I have a good case but this is unchartered territory for women’s rights.

Many of you have very kindly offered to be involved and help with gardening. I don’t think I’m allowed to share details on here so please go to my Twitter page http://twitter.com/SarahSurviving/ which has all the info in a pinned post.

Of you’re not on Twitter feel free to send me a DM for more information on how you can help the case. Any publicity you can give the crowd funder would really help.

Thank you everyone.

Sarah x

In other news I can see there has been a lot of gardening this morning

Thank you so much x

Good grief. What appalling unprofessional behaviour. A barrister acting for the other side rocks up on a Mumsnet thread for the lone litigant and repeatedly comments? Unbelievable.

May be worth being aware that I'm sure in some quarters, having this thread deleted and thereby depriving a rape survivor of the one remaining strand of support she has been able to access would be a highly desirable outcome.

V good news about the gardening Sarah

Can it actually be the real person? Would anyone actually be that unprofessional, crass and intrusive?

It really is ironic that a support space for Sarah has been intruded upon.

Sarah, this is your thread!

But,...the misbundle-ing!

When I got the MN notification earlier I didn't appreciate which thread I was on. I'm absolutely aghast.

Well, if one of the impacts is that the garden flourishes with the attention, that is at least some good news.

The reality is a barrister involved in the cross-examination of a woman who is already vulnerable and has been attacked continuously because of this court case has posted here even after people have pointed out just how it can be seen. I note that they also mention their client's permission to post here and the use of Robin White reinforcing, among other things that many other will have also noticed, an intention to ensure this was seen as a 'professional' post.

Considering there was absolutely no need to post on this particular thread there were so many others that discussed the other case, and the posts seem to be rather ego-centric, I find the insistence that there was 'no intention' completely unconvincing.

May your garden flourish more Sarah.

It's probably some sort of metaphor about entitlement to female spaces.

All the best Sarah.

Well that was weird.

Stay strong and don't let them grind you down x

Very odd and, in my opinion, unprofessional. I'm faintly surprised they've not asked for the posts to be taken down.

Well, they're helping to keep the thread bumped. Read the 'My lovely horse' thread, it's...lovely.

👀👀👀
And a little bit more
👀

Sarah, I've been digging. All power to you. Thank you for fighting for women. 💐

Wow, not sure why my message was deleted. I didn't misgender anyone or call anyone names (or even say their bundles are shit) . Are we not allowed to correctly sex people? I missed that memo.

I did tell them to bore off, could it be that?

Anyways, yes that was weird. Off to do a bit more gardening.

You are paying a very heavy price so others dont have to do this. I will keep digging for as long as it takes.

If anyone saw what I wrote and has supporting evidence can you send it to me?

Sent a pm, Tasteful.

I know I agreed with Tasteful but I don't know why my post was deleted. Apart from pointing out poor behaviour.

After Hewson was disbarred I thought I'd seen the depths of depravity to which these people will stoop. Making a beeline for victims of rape and sexual assault, stalking and harassing them online - waving the mantle of the legal expert as happened in the aforementioned case and now this - is going lower than a worm's gonads. And this is what passes for bar standards? You disgust me, White.

Solidarity as always, Sarah. Glad to see the gardening is bearing fruit

I looked at the guidelines, and i believe i may have been deleted as the mods tread a line on when correctly sexing someone could be viewed as a personal attack.

I can see the need to tread that line on this board, but i totally disagree that it should have been deleted in this case.

The appearance of RMW on this thread was totally inappropriate, not only because of their status as a solicitor involved in this case, but also because of the obvious parallels with the behaviour of the individual that led to Sarah being where she is today.

That totally needed saying.

I have no idea why my post was deleted, I've messaged MNHQ for clarification.

The “ fragrant “ RMW” who took their shoes off in the cafe of the Scottish Parliament...such ladylike behaviour...

@RobinMoiraWhite if you are actually the Robin Moira White then:

how dare you! How dare you come onto this thread.

You have the entirety of the internet to spout whatever you like to whoever you like.

This here is not a space you are welcome in.

You being in it shows the world exactly why Sarah is bringing the case she is bringing.

You are not welcome here. We can't stop you, but know that you inserting yourself into what Sarah had hoped was a safe space is itself a heinous act.

Now we can't stop you, but you should have had the self awareness of how your presence here would be recieived to have done the decent, female thing and stayed the f away.

Never mind that from a legal point of view this looks from the outside something akin to witness intimidation. Is that the look your going for?

we see you Robin. And we'd prefer that we didn't on this thread.

@IamSarah remember we are right there standing right by your side. Gardening as much and for as long as it takes. You are stronger than you know, and you can do this.
Boiled x

Try again.

Sarah, I'm sorry that you're having to deal with such ghastly, unprofessional, intimidating and frankly disgusting behaviour in a place where you have come for support.

All power and strength to you. 💪