LEGAL REVIEW WELCOMED

THE Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has strongly welcomed a Government decision to review legal protections for complainants in sexual assault cases.

DRCC chief Noeline Blackwell was reacting to the news that Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, has ordered the review following the Belfast rape trial.

‘It is needed to identify how you protect complainants in cases like this, where the issue is something that is very intimate to both the accused and the complainant,’ she said.

Under Irish law, an alleged victim of sexual assault is not entitled to their own legal representation when they testify in court.

Ms Blackwell said this needs to be re-examined, as the defendants have their own legal counsel.

‘On the one side, you have the accused, who in a rape trial is likely to be represented by really skilled experienced advocates in the criminal law system – a senior counsel, a junior counsel, and a whole legal team.

‘On the other hand, you have the complainant who is on their own,’ added Ms Blackwell.

Rape crisis centres offer emotional support but do not have legal experience and cannot guide the complainant through the whole process.

Ms Blackwell said: ‘We are not in any way trying to reduce the rights of an accused person in a serious criminal trial, all we are saying is [you have to] note that there are other people in the court.

‘There are [alleged] victims in the court and their rights have to be respected.’

She added that the relationship between prosecutor and accuser needs to be reviewed so that the rights of the defendants are not compromised.