Defendants in sexual assault cases will be entitled to anonymity unless they are convicted of the crime, under a new law being introduced by the Justice Minister. But changes being introduced in a new Sexual Offences Bill will bring the law regarding reporting on sexual assault cases in line with that for rape. The development was welcomed by comedian Sylvester ‘Sil’ Fox (87), who said he suffered from negative publicity and lost out on work after being falsely accused of sexual assault. The flouting of identification laws on social media also had to be considered. Under the bill, victims in all trials for sexual assault offences will remain entitled to anonymity, irrespective of the outcome of the trial.

Source: Irish Independent February 23, 2021 02:32 UTC