Daily Express & Daily Telegraph Prosecuted
DAILY EXPRESS AND DAILY TELEGRAPH BOTH PROSECUTED
The Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wiltshire, Karen Harrold, prosecuted the Daily Express and Daily Telegraph under Section 5 of the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 which prohibits publication of material likely to lead to the identification of a victim of a sexual assault.
The newspapers published a picture of the victim entering court before the trial. This enabled RAF colleagues to identify her when they had no prior knowledge of the case.
Wiltshire Police and CPS worked closely together throughout the case. Close contact was maintained with the victim even though she was serving in the Gulf. This included taking her views on the acceptability of pleas in line with the Prosecutors’ Pledge.
Karen prosecuted the case throughout and using the victim's personal statement she explained to the Magistrates how the media coverage had affected the victim's health, working & personal relationships and her potential career. The court awarded the maximum compensation possible of £15,000.
After the verdict, the victim told Karen that the trauma of the original trial left her devastated and under huge personal strain but the positive action taken to address the wrong done to her by the papers really was a light in the dark and she now felt vindicated and “less of a victim” as a result. The victim also feels that the successful outcome will discourage the newspapers from treating other victims in a similar way.
Karen Harrold, Chief Crown Prosecutor