20/03/2015

MPs Committee Call For Anonymity For Sex Offences Accused

The Home Affairs Select Committee has called for a statutory ban on identifying people accused of sexual offences in England and Wales.

The committee of MPs said that those arrested on suspicion of sexual offences deserved "the right to anonymity", with a zero tolerance approach to names being leaked, unattributed, to the media.

The identity of suspects should be kept private until a person is charged, or in case where police need to reveal the persons identity, the committee added.

However, a campaigner for the victims of rape has called the proposals "insulting". Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Jill Saward, said that making a "special care for sex crime suspects" implied that "victims are lying".

(MH/CD)

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