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21 Dec 2022

If you were found guilty of committing a sexual assault in the past, and if you were living in the UK, you would have been put on the Sex Offenders Register.

Being on this register will have undoubtedly influenced your life negatively, and if it was related to a miscarriage of justice or due to a false allegation, you would not want the impact of this to linger for the rest of your life.

So, call our team!

At ABV Solicitors, our sexual offence solicitor can help to build a case for having your name removed and will look back through the initial case that led to you being placed on the register in order to determine if it was valid or if there was an error. This process is complex but don’t worry! Our team is experienced and will aim to get the results that you want and deserve.

But what does the process involve, and what will our sexual offence solicitor need you to do? Read on to find out.

What is the Sex Offenders Register?

When you have been found guilty of a sexual assault, such as rape, then under UK law, you will have been placed on the register. In some cases, there may be a period of time linked to the offence based on its severity of it, but in the case of a guilty verdict related to rape, it is likely to be indefinite.

The Sex Offenders Register will contain all of your details relating to where you live, your age and the crime that you have been found guilty of. Thus, removing you from the register will be a complex process, and our sexual offence solicitor can help, even if you have been placed on it indefinitely.

The process

Firstly, an application has to be made to the police and then the High Court.

Our team at ABV Solicitors will explore the case as it was when you were found guilty and will, if applicable, add any evidence that was overlooked or not included in the application.

It’s worth noting that if the police refuse to accept the application, then it will not be passed on to the High Court. It can take many months or even years for the application to go through, but our team will be sure to chase it up on your behalf.

Considerations for removal

There are multiple reasons why an application for removal would be considered and accepted, but in our experience, the most common ones relate to:

• The seriousness of the offence(s), with lesser ones having a higher chance of removal.
• You were deemed to be mentally ill or have been diagnosed with a learning disability prior to or since the offence.
• The time that has passed since the adding to the register and the application. If it is an indefinite addition to the register, there needs to have been at least 15 years.
• The age of the offender when they were added to the register.
• The age of the person who was the victim and whether they were under the age of 16 years of age.