A helping hand to those who need it
Sexual allegations can have a devastating effect on the lives of everyone involved. Given their sensitive nature, they are cases that have to be handled with the utmost care and consideration for all of the involved parties.
It is here that an expert sexual offense solicitor plays their role, by providing constant legal guidance and support to anyone who has been accused of a sexual offense.
What actually is a sexual offence?
A sexual offense is a broad term that covers a range of sexually related misdeeds, which include rape, sexual assault, supplying or possessing indecent imagery, and incidents involving minors. These are all explained in-depth within the Sexual Offenses Act, 2003.
When called in for police questioning on a sexual allegation, the police are legally obliged to inform you about what sort of sexual allegation they have against you.
When to contact your lawyer
It is always recommended that anyone who is called in for police questioning concerning a sexual allegation has a specialist sexual offense expert solicitor at their side throughout all of the proceedings.
Even if they are certain of their innocence, having legal support always ensures that you can’t back yourself into a corner, or be tricked into a confession through offhand police tactics. A skilled criminal defense attorney, such as those found at https://www.goss.law/, can provide invaluable support and guidance through these challenging times.
Understanding consent
Given the depth of sexual offenses, on the whole, no two cases are ever identical. This is why consent plays such a vital role in determining the outcome of any sexual offense. Consent – within the legal parameters of a sexual offense allegation – is defined by an agreement to any sexual experience.
When defending a sexual offense allegation on the grounds of consent, it is the duty of the accused sexual offense expert solicitor to show that the accused had a reasonable reason to believe that both parties involved were both genuinely willing and consenting.
In instances where children are involved in sexual offense cases, there are no grounds for consent as they are underage. However, in adult sexual offense cases, it is a commonly sighted grounds for the accused innocence.
Protecting your public image
Sexual allegations often have a tendency to draw media attention to both the accused and their accuser or accusers. This can be extremely testing and stressful for everyone, and lead to a damaged mental state and sense of security.
This is why it is the responsibility of a sexual offense expert solicitor to ensure that their client’s public image is protected and kept away from media scrutiny or pressures. This also applies to cases where a professional stands accused of a sexual allegation. If an allegation has the potential to impede on a client’s professional business interests, it is the duty of their solicitor to make sure that it remains separate.
Fitness or ability to stand trial
In some cases of sexual allegations, the accused is elderly or has an underlying medical condition that may prevent them from standing fair trial. If this is the case, their sexual offense expert solicitor must do all they can – such as arrange psychiatric assessments – to demonstrate to the prosecuting court that their client cannot fairly stand trial.
