Rape

Convictions for rape and attempted rape have more than doubled in a year. There were 160 convictions for rape and attempted rape in Scotland in 2021-22 – up 105 from 78 in the previous year – new figures show.

The Scottish Sentencing Council is seeking views on draft sentencing guidelines for rape offences. A public consultation on the proposed guidelines launches today and people from all backgrounds, legal or otherwise, are being urged to offer their views to help ensure that the guidelines are fit for

Rape victims and complainers are to have free access to court transcripts under a new scheme. The year-long project, which starts on Friday, will provide access to transcripts that could normally cost thousands of pounds.

The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has welcomed a Pakistani legal reform that strengthens women's rights in marriage and criminalises unconsented sexual acts. The change in law has led to the first conviction for marital rape in the province of Sindh, where a K

Nearly two-thirds of specially-trained rape barristers in England and Wales say they will quit because of poor pay, according to a landmark new survey. A survey by the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) found that 64 per cent of prosecutors and 66 per cent of defence counsel on the rape and serious sexu

Lawyers have warned MSPs of the unacceptable risk posed by the proposal for juryless trials in rape cases. Law Society president Sheila Webster appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s Criminal Justice Committee to provide evidence on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill

Pre-recorded evidence could harm a complainant's chance of securing a conviction in rape cases, new research shows. A study led by Professor Cheryl Thomas KC at University College London found there were 20 per cent fewer rape convictions in such cases.

A legal request has been made to the Crown Office to reopen criminal proceedings against the footballer David Goodwillie. Mr Goodwillie, 34, was found to have raped a woman in a civil case in 2017. Criminal charges against him were dismissed, however, due to insufficient evidence. Denise Clair, the

The Crown is to appeal the sentence imposed on Sean Hogg for the rape of a 13-year-old girl on the grounds that it is ‘unduly lenient’. Hogg, 21, was convicted in the High Court on 7 March and was sentenced on 3 April 2023. He was ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work. He wa

The rape victim whose attacker was given community service has received an apology from Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC over failures to inform her of the consequences of the conviction. The victim, who is now 18, was raped by Sean Hogg in Dalkeith Country Park, Midlothian, in 2018, when she was 13.

Free, independent legal representation is to be provided to sexual offence complainers, where applications are made to lead evidence of their sexual history in court. Currently there are safeguards, known as rape shield laws, which are intended to stop questioning about a complainer's sexual history

The UK Information Commissioner has called on the criminal justice sector to immediately stop collecting excessive amounts of personal information from complainants in rape and serious sexual assault cases. The call is published in a Commissioner’s Opinion which informs the sector how to use p

Complainants in rape cases will only have their phones taken by police for evidential purposes “when absolutely necessary”, the solicitor general is to say. Alex Chalk QC will say today that police will be ordered to retained detailed written explanations and justifications for when they

An advocate has endorsed an MSP's call for legal representation for complainers in sexual assault and rape cases. Scottish Labour's Katy Clark has lodged a motion at Holyrood that calls for complainers to be given their own lawyers.

The criminal justice system is failing rape complainants, and "widespread reform is needed to build trust and secure justice", a new report has found. A joint inspection by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI)