Anonymity for victims of sexual offences to be extended until 25 years after they have died
The new law implements recommendations made by Sir John Gillen in his review into court procedures in serious sexual offences. Photograph: Aaron McCrackenThe public will be banned from attending serious sexual offences trials in Northern Ireland under new laws that have come into force.
Welcoming the change, Sir John said the prospect of a trial in a packed courtroom was a factor in deterring victims of serious sexual attacks from engaging with the criminal justice system.
– Nothing can be published which leads to the identification of a victim of a sexual offence, or a suspect in a sexual offence case. Those who breach the anonymity provisions face up to six months’ imprisonment. “I hope that all these measures will enable victims to have greater confidence in the criminal justice system and that, rather than suffer in silence, they will feel able to report when they have been the victim of a sexual offence, knowing that these further protections are in place.”
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