ABV SOLICITORS The importance of reporting a sexual offence The Sexual Offences Act 2003 governs sex laws in the UK. For the general public, this can be a complicated piece of legislation to understand, and sometimes, you not even be aware of whether or not a sexual offence has been committed against you. If you have found yourself in a situation where you believe a sexual offence may have occurred, then contacting your sexual offence solicitor immediately must be your priority. If you have been a victim of a sexual offence, then it is important that you contact a sexual offence solicitor immediately to prosecute the perpetrator, prevent such offences from being committed against other people and find justice for yourself. A sexual offence solicitor can build up a strong case against the perpetrator and will fight for the highest penalty possible under your circumstances. They know that this can be a highly distressing situation for you, and they are aware of the lasting impact a sexual offence can have on a victim. With that, your sexual offence solicitor will treat your case with professionalism, providing friendly advice throughout and dealing with all aspects of your case with their knowledge and expertise to ease the process for you. Conviction rates for sexual offences are significantly lower than other crimes here in the UK, and this is usually due to a range of different factors involving the victim. Many people are either embarrassed or scared to report a sexual offence being committed against them and choose to suffer in silence instead. They think that the police and authorities will not be able to help them, without realising that allowing the perpetrator to run free is dangerous for public safety as well as one’s own. Many people are unable to show evidence of a sexual offence being committed against them and others are unsure of who to turn to in the situation. It is also very sad, but unfortunately, some people do not report a sexual offence because they blame themselves for what has happened. Are you a victim of a sex crime? Speaking to your sexual offence solicitor will help you see that the right thing to do is to contact the authorities immediately, report the crime and allow the police to deal with the case accordingly. Contacting your sexual offence solicitor immediately will allow them to deal with the authorities on your behalf as well as advise you on how to answer any questions that you may be asked. They will speak to witnesses where possible, collect all the available evidence and complete all paperwork correctly and promptly to prevent any unnecessary delays. Furthermore, they will help implicate the perpetrator sooner rather than later to prevent such offences from happening again. They will assist you throughout the process, and with their help, you can ensure other people’s safety and begin to get your life back on track again. The importance of contacting a sexual offence solicitor References: https://www.abvsolicitors.co.uk/services/sexual-offences/ How to report rape and sexual assault | Metropolitan Police Sexual offences - Sentencing Council