Court transcripts: 'I want to know what went on in my rape trial'
A woman from East Sussex says she feels "kept in the dark" as she cannot access free transcripts from a trial in which her ex-partner was acquitted of raping her. Caroline - not her real name - did not attend the trial in person apart from to give evidence and feels a court transcript would help her understand how the jury came to their verdict. Victims of serious sexual assault in England and Wales whose attackers are found guilty no longer have to pay for transcripts of judge's sentencing remarks as part of a pilot scheme launched by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).The MoJ said: "We know the value transcripts can have for victims of rape and sexual offences."
It said this was why the Lord Chancellor had confirmed that the pilot would be extended to improve transparency and support for survivors.Because Caroline's ex-partner was acquitted of the alleged rape and therefore did not receive sentencing remarks, she did not qualify for the scheme and would have had to pay £7,000 for the transcript. Caroline believes complainants whose trials do not result in guilty verdicts should also be eligible for a free copy of judge's summing up remarks."I don't know what went on in court," she said. "I don't know how the case was summed up. I don't know what the judge said. I'm completely in the dark about what went on," she said."We want to bring down the cost of transcriptions in criminal courts without compromising on accuracy and are looking at how to use emerging technology to do that," the MoJ spokesperson added.
'A right to choose'
Caroline said she was advised by a police officer not to attend the trial, apart from to give evidence as it would "look odd" to the jury to have her sit in the public gallery after she had given evidence behind a screen.Victims of alleged sexual offences usually receive lifelong anonymity, including in court. Caroline felt that if she had attended court she would have had a better understanding of the trial. The Metropolitan Police said it was unable to comment on the claims around this case but it said there was no policy instructing officers to advise victims of rape, sexual or domestic abuse not to attend court after giving evidence.It added that specially trained officers work with victims of rape, sexual and domestic abuse to ensure they feel safe and understand the process for giving evidence in court.A CPS spokesperson said: "Victims have a right to choose whether to attend the rest of a trial after they have given evidence and there is no CPS policy to advise them otherwise."
If you are affected by any of the issues raised, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.
Caroline said she felt suicidal at the end of the trial.She investigated access to the transcript to help her try and process what had happened but could not afford the £7,000 quoted to be able to read the transcript of the whole trial - less if she were to buy just part of the transcript.The transcripts pilot was launched for those whose cases were heard at a Crown Court and designed to tackle the financial barrier many survivors face when trying to access information about their case.This month, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she would make the scheme permanent, but under review, as part of a package of measures "in pursuit of a justice system that serves victims".
Caroline said she was shocked she would have to "get a loan or to pay a lot of money" if she wanted to access the judge's summing up remarks."It just feels wrong," she said. "It feels like a slap in the face."Caroline added that she had not "healed or moved on" because of all the "unanswered questions".
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