RAPE trials in Scotland could be heard without a jury in an overhaul of the country’s courts to prevent victims being “retraumatised”, according to a senior judge.
A review into how Scotland’s justice system deals with rape cases has produced a series of recommendations, including establishing a specialist court dedicated to dealing with serious sexual offences.
Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian, who is leading the review, told Sky News: "Some of the accounts we had was that people felt retraumatised after their experience with the criminal justice system - we found that difficult to hear.”
She added: "Clearly that is not the intention and we had to listen to that and find a way of creating a system that doesn't do that.”
READ MORE: Lawyers worried about juryless trial proposals for sex crime cases
The review also suggested that cases could be heard by a single judge without a jury, court staff are trained in working with trauma victims, evidence from complaints is recorded as soon as possible by police officers, and jurors are educated about rape myths and stereotypes.
The problem of sexual violence perpetrated on women is UK-wide, with less than one in six female victims in England and Wales reported it to the police.
Only 16% of females aged 16 to 59 who had been victims of sexual assault by rape or penetration - since the age of 16 - reported it to the police, according to a survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics.
The killing of Sarah Everard has provoked vast discussions about women’s safety and how sexual offences are dealt with in the criminal justice system.
READ MORE: Sarah Everard: Body found in Kent woodland confirmed as that of missing woman
However, Lady Dorrian emphasised that the issues with how these cases are managed in the justice system are longstanding.
"We feel that to simply carry-on doing things the way that we have always been doing them isn't necessarily the best way forward," she continued.
The chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes, told Sky News that there are “significant problems” in aiding victims to come forward in the UK.
She explained that it is "crucial" that victims are supported through the justice system, and that there must be a "full and frank conversation about how we can do things better".
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