Last year, judges sentencing remarks transcripts were made available for free, to survivors in RASSO (rape and serious sexual offences) and families in homicide cases.
Victims and survivors of rape don't always feel able to attend sentence hearings, as it can be a distressing and often traumatising experience, with the possibility of encountering a perpetrator, their family and friends.
Free transcripts of judge’s sentencing remarks provide an opportunity for survivors to read in full what was said by the judge passing the sentence. This is a helpful record for survivors to possess, regardless of whether they attended the sentencing hearing.
Today the Ministry of Justice have announced that all victims whose cases are heard by the Crown Court will have free access to transcripts of judges’ sentencing remarks.
This is a positive step forward for those accessing the criminal justice system., Rape Crisis England & Wales would now like to see the principle extended to afford survivors in sexual offence cases free access to transcripts of the trial preceding sentencing.
Maxime Rowson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, says:
“We welcome this announcement which brings further transparency for victims/survivors in the Crown Court. We were pleased to support an earlier campaign to afford survivors in rape and serious sexual offence cases access to free sentencing transcripts and are pleased to see this right extended to victim/survivors in all cases.
“But we know that not all cases end in a sentence. Many survivors of sexual violence are unable to, and in many cases actively encouraged not to, attend the entirety of trial, pre-sentencing. We therefore urge the government to go further and make free sexual offence trial transcripts, which currently cost thousands of pounds and are therefore inaccessible to the majority of survivors.
"Free trial transcripts will bring even greater, much-needed, transparency and accountability to the criminal justice system, which is experienced as a site of harm for too many survivors of sexual violence and abuse. It isn’t right that the detail of trials, centring on a survivor, remains a secret to the majority who cannot afford transcripts.”