Sexual offences are allegations that need to be taken extremely seriously. It’s not only an offence that comes with considerable punishments but it can be an offence that impacts the victim and/or the defendant depending on whether a guilty verdict is determined or not.
Whether you’re facing an allegation of sexual offence or you’re looking to accuse someone of committing the act against you, it’s important to have the right legal representation by your side.
Being accused can be devasting and has an impact that could go way beyond yourself in particular. It can impact family members, your wider network, your reputation, and even your livelihood. Trying to find someone guilty of a sexual offence is never always black and white either. It often takes a lot of evidence, as well as the right solicitor to fight for justice.
Whichever side you’re on, a sexual offence allegation requires the very best in lawyers for your needs.
A sexual offence covers a variety of offences some of which you might not have realised to be the case. These include:
There’s a whole spectrum of offences that fall under sexual offence, which may be important to many who are aware of what’s happened to them but perhaps hadn’t realized that it could be a significantly more impactful offence.
It’s useful to understand some of the main types of sexual offences that often go through the courts on a regular basis. Knowing what these offences are and what weight they may carry if proven to be true, can be helpful for those looking to convict someone of the crime or on the other foot, those looking to defend themselves against false allegations.
Rape – An offence caused by a male penetrating another male or female in the vagina, anus, or mouth without consent. This sentence carries a maximum of life imprisonment.
Sexual assault – An offence to intentionally touch someone sexually without their consent. This carries a maximum sentence of ten years.
Assault by penetration – An offence to penetrate the vagine or anus of another person without their consent for sexual intent. This sentence can have a maximum of life imprisonment.
Causing sexual activity without consent – An offence to cause or encourage another to engage in sexual activity without consent. If penetration is involved, this carries a life imprisonment sentence, it otherwise ten years.
As we help those who have been alleged to commit a sexual offence, let us guide you through what to expect if you’re in need of our assistance.
Whether you’ve had a knock at the door or a telephone call to invite you to attend the police station for a chat, this is the point at which an investigation of sexual offense has been initiated. Therefore, it’s the point at which you want to avoid solicitors, even if you’ve done nothing wrong.
Everything that is said can be used against you once they start reading your rights. You’ll want a solicitor in the room with you when that happens. We always advise being legally represented at the police station with the help of sexual offence solicitors.
You’ll want to be properly advised on what you’re being accused of, what the police are likely to ask you, and what you might want to say or not say when being interviewed. Chances are, you’ve never been interviewed before so the techniques that are used by investigators are designed to catch suspects out.
As your solicitors, we’ll properly advise you from the outset of a criminal investigation for a sexual offence. We will conduct all the necessary gathering of information and analysis of the complainant’s account. We aim to find the weaknesses and exploit the vulnerabilities in order to strengthen your case and weaken theirs.
Our in-house sexual offence solicitors work hard to provide their expertise when it comes to navigating the complexities of a police investigation and if it comes to it, a court case. Should you find yourself in the unfortunate situation where you’re standing trial, we will work hard to make sure you’re prepared to stand trial and given the best possible chance of justice.
Regardless of the severity, we try our hardest to ensure all possible applications and cases are made for bail while awaiting your trial. Bail is offered on a case-by-case basis, but it’s something that most people should get. We’ll work hard to ensure you get the best posible chance of being provided with bail.
The courts will usually decide what the risk is when it comes to the individual reoffending and the risk to the public or victim in question.
There are often times when cases of sexual offences are alleged, often attracting some publicity to a degree. This may only be enhanced further if the alleged client is somewhat of a celebrity or reputational figure within the public eye.
We will support you throughout the whole process, dealing with anything as sensitively as possible and managing the press where appropriate.
The stress that can be often felt by those accused of sexual offences is hard to manage, especially when it comes to it impacting your livelihood, relationships, and more. Our solicitors will work with you to ensure the management of such processes is done so discreetly and fairly.
Despite what the truth may be, we work hard with all our clients to defend them and ensure they’re given their right to a fair and just trial where necessary. If you’ve been accused of a sexual offence of any kind, then contact our team of sexual offence solicitors today for help.
Don’t hesitate when seeking legal support for such serious offences, call us today.
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