"This book provides an in-depth examination of current, high-profile debates about the use of sexual history evidence in rape trials and presents original findings regarding the impact of this evidence on jurors. The book presents findings of the first research in England and Wales that has examined how jurors interpret, discuss, and rely upon sexual history evidence in deliberations. It draws upon qualitative and quantitative findings of 18 mock jury simulation panels, to highlight the complex, nuanced and intersectional impact of this evidence. Findings highlight ongoing prejudicial impact of sexual history evidence, with jurors routinely drawing upon rape myths and stereotypes about sexual violence, to posit relevance of this evidence and undermine the perceived credibility of the complainant. These findings are embedded within broader discussions about evidential legitimacy in rape trials and use good practice observed in other jurisdictions, to make numerous recommendations for change. Aiming to inform academic, policy and legislative discussions in this area, Sexual History Evidence in Rape Trails will be of great interest to students and scholars of Criminal Law and Criminology, as well as policy makers and legal practitioners"--
This book provides an in-depth examination of current, high-profile debates about the use of sexual history evidence in rape trials and its impact on jurors. In doing so, it presents findings of the first mock jury dataset in England and Wales to explore how jurors interpret, discuss, and rely upon such evidence within their deliberations.
Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative insights from the 18 mock jury panels, the book highlights the complex, nuanced and intersectional impact of sexual history evidence within the deliberative ideal. Indeed, findings exemplified routine and ongoing prejudicial framings of sexual history amongst jurors, and frequent endorsement of rape myths that served to mistakenly infer relevance and undermine the perceived credibility of the complainant. The findings discussed within this book are therefore key to addressing the current knowledge gap around the impact of sexual history evidence and are embedded within broader discussions about evidential legitimacy in rape trials. The book draws on good practice observed in other jurisdictions to makes numerous recommendations for change.
Aiming to inform academic, policy, and legislative discussions in this area, Sexual History Evidence in Rape Trials will be of great interest to students and scholars of Criminal Law and Criminology, as well as policy makers and legal practitioners.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylor francis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution- Non Commercial- No Derivatives 4.0 license.
This book provides an in-depth examination of current, high-profile debates about the use of sexual history evidence in rape trials and presents original findings regarding the impact of this evidence on jurors.
