Did anyone else hear a story on the radio news yesterday about a dropped rape case with an autistic victim? It was given a good exposure on the morning news. A family 'friend' (or cousin? - someone they trusted) had been raping the autistic daughter since her early teens. She finally told her family - having been threatened in the usual way if she did tell anyone. The Crown Prosecution Service and the Police were really good and they found an 'advocate' or spokesperson to help her in Court. After months of preparation they got to the Court, but the advocate apparently expressed some doubt (not expressed previously) about the victim's reliability as a witness and suddenly the whole case was completely dropped. Despite its airing on the radio I haven't seen or heard anything further, and there is no mention of it on Google news re autism. I think we (preferably, or possibly the NAS) should be offering the family support at least in the shape of good wishes and sympathy, and someone should write the case up eg for Community Care and/or Good Autism Practice.
What a trauma for the girl and her family!!! but nothing new - I was involved in a similar case (though the victim was not autistic) when a care worker had been repeatedly raping a young woman with a very pronounced learning disability when he was on night shift with her and no other staff around, only fellow learning disabled people. He had got her pregnant and thus been discovered. The judge threw that out because he said that nobody had reported hearing her object to the rapes - this was based on a judgement in a Victorian rape allegation.
Any leads on the more recent case anyone?
Dinah (London Autistic Rights Movement)
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