Star News
Campaign to break down myths surrounding sexual assaults
10:30am Monday 6th February 2012
A CAMPAIGN which aims to raise awareness of the issue of consent in sex crimes has been backed by prosecutors from Merseyside’s Unity team.
The team, made up of CPS specialist rape prosecutors and police officers, investigates and prosecutes sex attacks.
They have praised the campaign, which hopes to dispel some of the myths surrounding sexual assault and particularly around the issue of consent.
Janet Potter, CPS Mersey-Cheshire expert rape prosecutor and legal head of the Unity team, said: “The law is clear regarding consent – a person has to agree to sex and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice, otherwise the other party will have committed a criminal offence.
“There are instances where the law presumes that the victim has not consented – unless evidence is put forward to prove otherwise.
“These include instances where the victim has been drugged, is asleep or unconscious or has been threatened with violence.
“This is, of course, put in its very simplest terms, but we know there is still confusion among the public about this issue, and that’s where this campaign will help.”
In the past 12 months the Unity team has dealt with prosecutions which have resulted in 62 defendants in Merseyside being convicted of rape or serious sexual assault.
This is an increase of more than 50 per cent com