Aims of Charity

Registered by the Charity Commission (Charity number 1194627) our purpose is:

To advance the education of the public in the subject of rape as a criminal offence and the attitudes and false beliefs surrounding rape (otherwise known as ‘rape myths’) to reduce the prevalence of rape within society and to support victims of rape. To work within the judicial institutions to support efforts to reduce PTSD of a complainant and ensure increases in rape conviction rates are sustained.

Our vision is a world, in which justice for victims of sexual violence is the norm, not the exception. Our mission starts within the UK judiciary. We have an advisory board of Barristers who defend and prosecute sexual violence, who have, over the past 18 months, listened closely to concerns raised in the following reports End to end rape review.

Changing the education system of Barristers to include a module on rape myths and the limits of advocacy, to be introduced in law degrees/BPC.
To continue to find out directly from Barristers on their attitudes towards, opinions about and proposed solutions to finding parity in justice. A core part of this work is in finding out from Defence Barristers why cases can be dismantled so easily and to build this body of evidence to improve Police Investigations.
To create and implement a code of conduct that is created by Barristers and signed.
To work in close collaboration with the judiciary to gain solutions to the complexities of the low conviction rate and understanding from within not the other way around.
Share best practice from across the judiciary.
Create a global learning and dissemination programme of best practice.
A student advisory board provides findings from Court Observations undertaken across English Crown Courts.
To change the narrative of focus on the victim's behavour to that of the offenders behaviour.
Support complainants post cases to submit complainants to the Bar Standards Board, if overzealous advocacy/excessive rape myths are used.

NEW PODCAST LIVE:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2272867

Court observations:

Students who are studying law at University's across the UK who may become Criminal Barristers are observing trials following this model: https://www.victimsupportni.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/VSNI-Report_BearingWitness_Final.pdf

The above model was completed by 2020. Our observers are looking forward in to seeing improvements in 2023/2024.

ORGANISATIONAL AIMS