Ring, Sinéad (2019) Prosecuting Sexual Offences. Project Report. JUSTICE, London, UK..
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Abstract
Recent years have seen a surge in the prosecution of sexual offences. The
uncovering of historic crimes, a rise in reporting, shifting cultural attitudes and
the internet have all contributed to a pronounced escalation in the number and
gravity of cases coming to trial. In turn, this increase has thrown into the
spotlight the complexities inherent in the prosecution of offences of this kind,
many of which will involve significant evidentiary problems and vulnerable
witnesses.
The Criminal Justice System (“CJS”) has responded with some major
improvements in the way sexual offences are tried. Yet the increase in
accusations has caused the CJS to struggle. The nature and scale of the offences
reported has meant that ever-increasing resources are needed to investigate and
prosecute. Widely publicised incidents of cases collapsing due to non-
disclosure of unused material exemplify the difficulties being caused.
This Working Party of JUSTICE considered how sexual offences might be
prosecuted more effectively and more justly in these difficult circumstances.
Although the original intention was to identify where efficiency savings could
be made, it quickly became apparent that improving procedural practices alone
would not be sufficient. Instead, the Working Party adopted a holistic view.
An approach that understands what causes sexual offending and seeks to
address this through efforts that prevent crime, divert from prosecution and
reduce reoffending, is key.
Item Type: | Monograph (Project Report) |
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Keywords: | Prosecuting; Sexual Offences; |
Academic Unit: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Law |
Item ID: | 15329 |
Depositing User: | Sinead Ring |
Date Deposited: | 27 Jan 2022 11:40 |
Publisher: | JUSTICE |
Refereed: | Yes |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/15329 |
Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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