Innocent of rape – but a life in ruins

RAPE is a very serious matter, and so is being accused of it. Which is why I have some sympathy for Ben Sullivan, the young Oxford undergraduate who, having been arrested last month after a fellow student accused him of rape, was later released without charge — but not before having his name splashed all over the media.

There is a good reason why individuals accused of rape do not have the right to anonymity, while their alleged victims do.

The police and courts want women to feel they can report sexual offences without fear of being vilified. This is especially important in cases where religious or cultural stigma are a factor, and where rape is part of a cycle of domestic or repeat abuse.

Releasing the identity of a suspect can also be instrumental in capturing serial offenders, since it gives other women who may have suffered at the hands of the same individual the opportunity to come forward and tell their stories. It can also help to strengthen historical or weak evidence.

But for those who are innocent of the charges against them, it is a cruel and unfair system. Fact is, mud sticks.

Whatever else Sullivan does with the rest of his life, he will always and forever be known as the former Oxford Union president arrested on suspicion of rape — particularly because he has the misfortune of growing up in the internet age. And the court of public opinion is clear on this matter: where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Sullivan’s proposition is that the law be changed to protect the identity of those accused until charges have been brought. He’s not asking for total anonymity; simply for the facts of the case to be kept private until the Crown is satisfied that there is enough evidence to justify a prosecution.

Given the vile nature of the crime concerned, it does not seem like such an outrageous suggestion.