1st Edition

Sexual History Evidence in Rape Trials Is the Jury Out?

By Charlotte Herriott Copyright 2023
190 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

190 Pages 5 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

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... Read more

Chapter One - Introduction: Situating the Debate

Chapter Two – Mock Jury Simulations: Insights through the Looking Glass

Chapter Three - Sexual History Evidence: "The Canary in the Criminal Justice Mine?"

Chapter Four - Taking Stock: S.41 in Operation

Chapter Five - ‘No doesn’t always mean no’: Socio-Sexual Stereotypes and Heteronormativity

Chapter Six - ‘Was she that type of girl?’: Sexual History Evidence and Constructions of Complainant Credibility

Chapter Seven - Sexual History Evidence: A Complicating Factor?

Chapter Eight - Lessons to be Learnt from Other Jurisdictions?

Chapter Nine - Back to the Drawing Board?

Biography

Charlotte Herriott is a Lecturer in Criminology and Policing at Anglia Ruskin University, UK. Charlotte's PhD, on which this book is based, was the first research in England and Wales to examine the impact of sexual history evidence on mock jury deliberations in rape trials. Her current research interests relate to sexual violence, particularly criminal justice responses and sexual violence within the UK armed forces. Charlotte is working with colleagues within ARU’s Veteran’s and Families Institute, examining the service justice system response to sexual offending and exploring military-specific factors which may complicate responses to sexual offending. She teaches on a variety of modules across the criminology programme, focusing mainly on areas of violence, sexual violence, and the criminal justice system.