Rape Crisis Legal Case - Court Date!

[IamSarah]

I thought this day would never come. The case has FINALLY been listed at Brighton County Court from 22-30 September 2025.

Thank you so much everyone for the ongoing support, encouragement, gardening and lovely messages.

Looking forward to the case being over and hopefully the right outcome being reached - women having the option of single sex rape crisis therapy.

Keen gardeners please Google Sarah Summers Brighton

Thank you

I think many women always have, but weren't aware there are people, groups, funders who are using finances to undermine them.

The worry about the article is that even though it is old it shows a mind set that hasn't changed. And yet they say their priority is women employees.

If they had added a post script saying they support single sex services, or even tried to explain why if a group is in breach of equality laws they shouldn't be sued!

Progress at last..... I hope for the best outcome

Fabulous that is has finally been listed. I live quite close. I might book the week off work and come watch

All the very best Sarah. Thank you for your courage, bravery and determination in continuing with this fight on behalf of woman all throughout our nation. 💐

@NoOneKnowsWhoYouAre I think Sarah is trying to retain her anonymity, so probably best not to go unless Sarah states that she wants to go public.

There will be a link to view proceedings online and tribunal tweets will be covering it. I think anyone who wants to attend in person will need to apply for access.

I'm not sure how the anonymity works tbh, but all the survivors and frontline staff giving evidence have been granted anonymity.

I presume this case will be unnecessary in the light of the clarification of the Equality Act?

I believe it will still go ahead.

The court case will have no impact on this case unfortunately.

Survivor's Network, unless they lied about the service they were providing ie claimed is was women only under the SSE, are entitled to offer what services they want or do want to provide.

Whether Brighton Council or other funders should have ensured there was at least one service in the Brighton area that offered single sex (biology) based services is another matter.

I'm not sure you're right here.

If they are using the single sex exception to provide a women only provision, going forwards that will have to be women only (not men who identify as women), as the SC has made clear that the protected characteristic of sex in the EA 2010 means actual sex. The single sex exception is essentially a licence to discriminate (in most circumstances it would be discriminatory to exclude members of one sex), and can't just be expanded to include some members of the group you are discriminating against (i.e. men) as that would be discriminatory against other members of that group (who also have the protected characteristic of sex).

I'm not sure you're right here.

I said if they misadvertised there would be a case.

And if they had misadvertised it would make no difference what the SC said last week, as it was already illegal to say you were advertising under the SSE and then included TW.

I expect it will mean the other side will try and settle. I don't know though, obviously.

Good news and good luck.

This will still be going to court in exactly 5 months. The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that rape crisis centres are permitted to provide single sex groups that exclude trans women, even those with a GRC. It doesn’t mean they have to, it is permission rather than obligation.

My case is that this is indirect discrimination to women who want and need a single sex space.

there is more info in the press release https://didlaw.com/sarah-summers-press-release-3-may-2022

Good luck Sarah, hopefully the SC ruling will help your case

Donated. Hope you reach your target

I was wondering what what was happening, especially following the Supreme Court decision. Thanks for the update @IamSarahand best of luck

This will still be going to court in exactly 5 months.

Is that another delay. I hope not. It is just scandalous that they have been so slow.

I hope you are doing okay, and think it is really impressive with how you have not let them grind you down.

Best wishes and hope you have a lovely summer!

@IamSarah

My case is that this is indirect discrimination to women who want and need a single sex space.

We need some sort of group action against all local councils and other funders to ensure that when giving money to support services they make it mandatory that at least some (a sizeable portion) MUST go to single (biological) sex services.

I may be being thick as IANAL, but the press release says
“This case is about protecting the right for some services to remain single sex spaces, by law, where this is the most appropriate manner of safeguarding the rights of women. The rights of women to these spaces is vitally important and must be protected.
The law is not clear. More guidance is needed. It is hoped that this case will assist in clarifying the law and provide service providers with a clear legal framework.”

Isn’t this what the Supreme Court has just done?

should the EHRC be intervening in your case!

@ProseccoStormtrooper

“This case is about protecting the right for some services to remain single sex spaces, by law, where this is the most appropriate manner of safeguarding the rights of women."

In saying the right for some services to be single sex by law, they mean that those services are required to be single sex, not that they may be single sex and that if they are single sex, it must be based on biology. not gender. On its face, the Supreme Court ruling does not require single sex services to be provided. Other rules (e.g., workplace rules for loos) may.

Thank you for the supportive words and gardening 💛

I know it’s still 5 months away but at least it will be this year. At one time there was talk of it dragging into 2026.

Lots is going on to prepare for the trial.

If there are any further updates I’m allowed to share I will post them here.

Absolutely this.

Good luck again @IamSarah. I really hope there will be services to meet yours and other's needs soon.

@IamSarah
Something went wrong with my choice of emojis so I will just say that I absolutely support you and have found a little cash down the back of the sofa for you.