Warning: this video contains discussion of sexual assault.
“Every single one of those days was agony made worse by having a role in public life. That meant that the mental health consequences of my trauma were played out in public,” Charlotte Nichols, the Labour MP for Warrington North, told the House of Commons.
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Speaking at a debate on changing the law to limit jury trials, Nichols said that she was raped at an event that she attended in her capacity as an MP and revealed that she waited 1,088 days for her case to get to court.
The crime and the almost-three-year wait for the trial, during which time she was targeted with abuse by strangers on social media, left Nichols with PTSD.
She said the man she accused was acquitted after a criminal trial, but a compensation order had been made after a “successful civil process” that she said “recognises me as a blameless victim of a violent crime”.
Measures in the courts and tribunals bill would create a new criminal court where judges would hear cases without juries; magistrates-only hearings for offences that carry a maximum sentence of two years or fewer; judge-only trials for complex fraud cases; and remove the automatic right of appeal from the magistrates court.
Thousands of lawyers have urged the prime minister to rethink the plans.
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations.
In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland.
In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732)
Other international helplines can be found at http://ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
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