Closed petition Reform legislation on evidence admissible in sexual assault and rape cases

Closed on 14 March 2021

I want the Government to reform legislation on the evidence that is admissible in sexual assault and rape cases, to enable prosecutors to be able to present any evidence relating to the character of the defendant, such as whether they absconded and if there are similar charges against them.

I want this to happen because I believe the current process for trying cases for sexual assault and rape cases is not fair on victims, and the chances of successfully prosecuting these cases can be hampered by restrictions on the evidence that can be presented in court, as evidenced by the fact that so few reported rapes result in a conviction. I believe this could be improved if the law on what evidence is admissible were changed.