Clause 2 - Anonymity of defendant in rape etc. cases
Sexual Offences Bill [Lords]
5:15 pm
Mr Chris Bryant (Rhondda, Labour)
The public may understand that distinction, but the general assumption among the wider populace is that, when people talk about rape, they are taking about an act between two strangers. Furthermore, most people conceive of rape primarily in its sexual context rather than in relation to the violence that has been perpetrated against the individual. That is why I do not wish to draw a distinction between the treatment of defendants in rape cases and those accused of any other violent crime. Rape cases should not be treated differently from other cases.
Yes, there are problems. We know that they exist in youth work in the United Kingdom. Some 20 or 30 years ago, some of the best youth work was done one-to-one. A single youth worker would work in a room with an individual child who was troubled. Such work is not carried out so much now because many youth workers are worried about the potential for allegations of abuse to be made against them.
I suspect that there is another problem in that the tabloid press still pays public servants, police officers, Customs officials and others for information far in advance of charges being made. By the time a charge is made, such matters are no longer newsworthy and of financial value. The solution to such problems does not lie in providing anonymity for defendants.