An acquittal on counts of rape and assault by penetration would be quashed and a retrial ordered where the complainant had left the country after giving an achieving best evidence interview and the Crown had offered no evidence at trial. There was new and compelling evidence in the form of the complainant’s evidence which was available when she returned to the country, and a retrial would be in the interests of justice.
ACQUITTAL FOLLOWING FOREIGN RAPE COMPLAINANT’S UNAVAILABILITY FOR TRIAL AND INADMISSIBILITY OF ACHIEVING BEST EVIDENCE INTERVIEW ACQUITTALS ASSAULT BY PENETRATION CRIMINAL EVIDENCE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT 2003 s.76 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE NEW AND COMPELLING EVIDENCE Pt 10 QUASHING ORDERS RAPE RETRIALS RETURN OF COMPLAINANT TO UK s.101(1)(d) s.101(1)(g) s.62 s.62(8) s.75 s.76(1) s.77 s.77(1) s.78 s.78(1) s.78(2) s.78(3) s.78(5) s.79 s.82 s.84
The court gave guidance regarding the assessment of a complainant’s mental capacity in a criminal trial when the alleged offences involved proof of a lack of consent.
ASSESSMENT OF COMPLAINANT’S MENTAL CAPACITY BURDEN OF PROOF CONSENT CRIMINAL EVIDENCE CRIMINAL LAW CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (INSANITY) ACT 1964 s.4A EXPERT WITNESSES MENTAL CAPACITY MENTAL CAPACITY ACT 2005 s.2 MENTAL HEALTH PERSONS LACKING CAPACITY s.1 s.1(2) s.2(1) s.2(4) s.30 s.30(2)(a) s.31 s.31(2)(a) s.32 s.32(2)(a) s.33 s.33(2)(a) s.4 s.4(5) s.42 s.44 s.74 s.75 s.76 SEXUAL ASSAULT SEXUAL OFFENCES SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT 2003 s.3 SEXUAL OFFENCES INVOLVING PROOF OF LACK OF CONSENT STANDARD OF PROOF
In circumstances where an offender had deceived a complainant and pressured her into having sexual intercourse more frequently than she would have done otherwise, the conclusive presumption under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 s.76 had no application as the complainant had not been deceived as to the nature or purpose of sexual intercourse.
CONSENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND COURT SERVICES ACT 2000 s.28 CRIMINAL LAW DECEPTION IRREBUTTABLE PRESUMPTIONS NATURE OF DECEIT CAUSING COMPLAINANT TO HAVE SEXUAL INTERCOURSE PRESUMPTIONS PROCURING INTERCOURSE RAPE s.3 s.74 s.75 s.76 s.76(2)(a) s.77 SENTENCING SEXUAL OFFENCES SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT 1956 s.3(1) SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT 2003 s.1(1)
If, through drink, or for any other reason, a complainant had temporarily lost her capacity to choose whether to have sexual intercourse, she was not consenting, and subject to the defendant’s state of mind, if intercourse took place, that would be rape. However, where a complainant had voluntarily consumed substantial quantities of alcohol, but nevertheless remained capable of choosing whether to have intercourse, and agreed to do so, that would not be rape.
CAPACITY TO CONSENT TO SEXUAL INTERCOURSE COMPLAINANT’S VOLUNTARY EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION CONSENT CRIMINAL LAW CRIMINAL PROCEDURE JURY DIRECTIONS RAPE s.1 s.75 s.75(2)(d) s.75(2)(f) s.76 SEXUAL OFFENCES SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT 2003 s.74 VOLUNTARY INTOXICATION