Before a court case can begin, the victim must feel empowered to take steps against the perpetrator. They need to understand what has happened to them, come to terms with the reality of making a formal complaint, and be mentally and emotionally prepared for the enquiries that may follow from the police, medical professionals, solicitors or other relevant parties.
For many victims, it takes a lot of energy before they can feel brave enough to contact an organisation – be it the police, a law firm, a medical professional, their employer or union, a charity, or other related body – to start the process towards justice. When they do so, they must be supported, believed and taken seriously. Unfortunately, new research by specialist lawyers Bolt Burdon Kemp has found that many people aren’t comf...