Children born after rape to be classed as crime victims

CHILDREN born as a result of rape are to be classed as victims of crime for the first time.

The legal change, referred to as “Daisy’s law” after a woman who fought to have her rapist father prosecuted, will grant rights to the thousands of children born each year to victims of rape.

They will be entitled to take advantage of statutory victim support services from police, courts and other criminal justice agencies and gain similar rights as other victims such as the requirement to be informed on the progress of a case and when their mother’s attacker is due to be freed from jail.

The change will be introduced as part of the Government’s forthcoming Victims Bill, making England and Wales what are believed to be the first countries in the world to enshrine the provision in law.

Research by academics for the Centre for Women’s Justice (CWJ) estimated that more than 3,000 children could have been conceived after rape in the two nations in 2021.

Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, said: “No child born in these horrific circumstances should be left to suffer alone, which is why we must ensure they can access vital support whenever they may need it.

“Our Victims Bill will amplify their voices and boost support for all victims at every stage of the justice system.“

Daisy, 47, a social worker whose surname cannot be used to protect her mother’s identity, fought for a decade to have her biological father Carvel Bennett, 74, convicted for raping her birth mother more than 40 years earlier. Daisy’s mother was 13 at the time.

She was told, including by police officers, that she was not a victim but succeeded in helping bring Bennett to justice in August 2021.

He was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment for his crime, and told that he must remain on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

Daisy also won the backing of the Commons justice committee for “Daisy’s law”, which will mean children born of rape will be treated as “secondary victims”, giving them official standing in the eyes of the law and enabling them to become complainants in criminal investigations.