England: Prosecutors urged to explore background of alleged rapists

New advice to be issued to prosecutors will urge them to present more evidence about the relationship and sexual history of male defendants in rape trials, the London Evening Standard reports.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, believes some rapists may escape justice because the case against them focusses exclusively on the commissioning of the crime.

The new advice will aim to present more evidence to the courts about an alleged rapist’s past sexual conduct and relationships.

Ms Saunders told the paper: “We are looking at how to prosecute certain types of cases, the more difficult ones. They tend to involve drugs or drink and people who know each other.

“Some of it will be if you have already been in a relationship, understanding the dynamics of coercive and controlling behaviour and presenting cases in a way that doesn’t just look at the individual incident.”

She added: “If it’s about drink and drugs, in some of them there will have been a targeting element, either by buying drinks or standing back until you pick somebody off.”