Landmark ruling could set precedent for cases

Sexual abuse charities hailed yesterday’s court’s ruling.

Rape Crisis Scotland coordinator Sandy Brindley said the verdict was a “landmark ruling”.

She said: “This is the first ever civil prosecution for rape in Scotland, in terms of civil damages.

“I think we need to pay credit to the courage of the woman in this case, she was let down by the criminal justice process.

“This opens up more opportunities for other women in similar circumstances. They know now that civil action is a possibility.

“We think that we will see more and more rape complainers who feel let down by the criminal justice system turning to civil system in their search for justice.

“We appreciate that the burden of proof is different in civil justice compared to criminal justice, but we do think there are questions for the Crown to answer about why they dropped this case, and their willingness to prosecute in cases where someone is so drunk they do not have the capacity to consent.”

Kieran Watson, from charity Eighteen and Under, which works with people affected by sexual abuse, believes “the odds are still stacked against” victims. He said: “I don’t see any major changes coming from this in terms of what they do in the court room.”