Victim/Suspect: When Reporting Rape Becomes a Crime
Film Screening and Panel Discussion with a speaker from Women Against Rape & others (below)
Date and time: Thursday, 13 February: 6:30 – 9pm GMT
Location: BLOC Cinema, Arts One Building, Queen Mary University of London, 327 Mile End Road London E1 4NS
About this event
A reporter working at The Center for Investigative Reporting discovers a surprising number of legal cases nationwide involving women who report sexual assault cases to police, only to be accused of fabricating their allegations. These women are then charged with crimes-sometimes facing years in prison.
Join us on 13 February 2025 for the screening and to learn about similar cases that have happened in the UK. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion. Our panellists have been involved in UK cases where women accused of lying to police about sexual assault have been prosecuted. There will be an opportunity for Q&A as well. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and can now be seen on Netflix.
The Panel:
Lisa Avalos, Fulbright Scholar at QMUL and Law Professor at Louisiana State University Law Center, has been writing about the types of cases featured in the film, and advocating for the women involved, since 2013. She and several women she has worked with are featured in the film. Professor Avalos focuses her research and teaching on criminal law and procedure, with an emphasis on sexual offenses. She is currently writing a book titled She Must Be Lying to Us! When Reporting Rape Becomes a Crime.
David de Freitas is an activist and the father of Eleanor de Freitas, a vibrant young woman who took her own life in April 2014, just three days before she was to be tried for perverting the course of justice after reporting a rape to police. Mr. de Freitas has spoken out against the authorities’ treatment of his daughter and he prevailed in a defamation case when the man Eleanor accused sued him.
Lisa Longstaff has been with Women Against Rape for four decades. WAR is a multiracial organisation working with survivors of sexual and/or domestic violence fighting for justice, asylum and compensation. Set up in 1976, WAR’s 15-year campaign won the criminalisation of rape in marriage. WAR has fought many cases with women racially and/or sexually assaulted by police. In 1995, Ms Longstaff was part of a team bringing the first private prosecution for rape in England and Wales – the rapist of two sex workers was sentenced to 11-years on the same evidence the CPS had rejected. Ms Longstaff helped the women in their appeal for criminal injuries compensation. Since the 1990s, WAR has campaigned for rape survivors accused of making a false allegation by the police not to be prosecuted, demanding instead thorough unbiased investigations. WAR is part of Support Not Separation to stop children being taken from their mothers when they report domestic violence.
David Malone is a barrister serving as a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service with responsibility for all homicide prosecutions in London. Prior to joining the CPS, in 2019, David practised at the self-employed Criminal Bar as a barrister for over 20 years, both defending and prosecuting, from Red Lion Chambers, one of the country’s leading criminal sets. He has successfully prosecuted many rapists and has defended women accused of lying after reporting rape or domestic abuse. His representation of ‘Sarah’ (a pseudonym), in her seminal appeal against conviction for falsely retracting a truthful complaint of rape, and subsequent successful fight for criminal injuries compensation, led to a change in the approach to such cases. He has often acted pro bono and has been commended by the Bar Council for his pro bono work in the field of violence against women and girls. David is the Co-Editor of Blackstones Guide to the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Harriet Wistrich is the founder and director of the Centre for Women’s Justice, a solicitor with 25 years’ experience, and author of the 2024 book Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men. The Times has said that the book ‘is compelling, shocking and inspiring in equal measure..this accessible book is a must for anyone interested in justice, society and using the law to achieve change.’ Ms. Wistrich has won numerous awards and has acted in many high profile cases around violence against women including on behalf of women who challenged the police and parole board in the John Worboys case, women deceived in relationships by undercover police officers, and on behalf of women appealing murder convictions for killing abusive partners.