Alleged rapists defending themselves in British courts will lose the right to cross-examine the people who have accused them, the former Home Secretary Michael Howard said.
The move is designed to eliminate the harrowing ordeal that rape victims can suffer when their attackers choose to question them–often intimately–in open court.
The proposal hailed by the Bar Council, as well as women’s and victims groups, follows the case of Julia Mason, who was questioned over six days at the Old Bailey last summer by the man who raped her twice.
She complained to the European Commission of Human Rights and her ordeal sparked a public outcry.
“I fully sympathize with victims who have had to endure further distress by being cross-examined by their alleged attacker,” said Howard. “It is vital to encourage witnesses to come forward to give evidence against offenders.”
