The presumption of innocence, the principle that one is considered innocent until proven guilty, is a legal right of the accused in a criminal trial.
I don't see much of that at the moment. The press is full of stories based on the claims of a single person. The accused may be guilty or not, until a trial we don't know.
Trial by media is just not on, too many innocent people have their lives wrecked.
Neither the accused or the accuser should be named till the trial is over. Naming the acccused can ruin an innocent persons life, and also influence the trial.
5 years ago
3 comments:
Naming the accused is more important in sexual assault cases than in most others, as I understand things, because of the appallingly low conviction rate and the disproportionate blaming of the victims. The Fawcett society have some info on it somewhere on their site.
Cheers Ailbhe. The conviction rate for rape cases is shamefully low. I shall have to look up the views of the fawcett society.
Part of the problem is the celebrity obsessed media, and people who will do anything to get the attention. Sometimes its sick people the media are exploiting for their benefit.
www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=1158
Much of their concern seems to be that it was that it was only for rape, which is not my idea at all. They want to see evidence that it will work.
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