RT Article
T1 Rape, inequality and the criminal justice response in England: The importance of age and gender
JF Criminology & criminal justice
VO 21
IS 3
SP 297
OP 315
A1 Walker, Sarah-Jane Lilley
A2 Hester, Marianne
A2 McPhee, Duncan
A2 Patsios, Demi
A2 Williams, Anneleise
A2 Bates, Lis
A2 Rumney, Phil
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1760353868
AB This article draws upon quantitative and content analysis of 585 reports of rape recorded within two police force areas in England in 2010 and in 2014 tracking individual incidents to eventual outcome to examine the impact, if any, of intersecting inequalities on trajectories of rape cases reported to police. The data were collected as part of the wider Economic and Social Research Council funded Justice, Inequality and Gender-Based Violence research project which examined victim-survivor experiences and perspectives on justice. Building on existing distinctions between types of rape case based on the relationship between victim-survivor and accused, the results suggest age and gender are significant factors in how sexual violence, and the criminal justice system, is experienced. While younger women and girls were disproportionately affected by certain types of sexual violence case and more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system compared to men and older women, they were not necessarily more likely to achieve a conviction. The findings also confirm that some of the most vulnerable victims-survivors of sexual violence, especially those with poor mental health, are still not achieving criminal justice. Victims-survivors from Black and minority ethnic group or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer groups are underrepresented within the criminal justice system, implying these groups are not seeking a criminal justice response in the same way as ‘white’ heterosexual victims-survivors.
K1 Sexual Violence
K1 Rape
K1 Inequality
K1 Gender
K1 Criminal Justice
K1 Age
DO 10.1177/1748895819863095