questions they will ask

[emy2005]

someone told me that it may help if i write questions and answers of what i could be asked in court. Can anyone give me examples of what they may ask?

[diana_holbourn]

Unless things have changed very dramatically recently, as some people here think they have, then you really need to do the exercise on a day when you're feeling particularly strong, since many questions can be very unpleasant. It may be painful to find out what you might be asked. But just keep thinking that the more you know, the more you can prepare, and the more you do that, the more likely you are to give such good answers that they can't make you look bad.

The most recent article I have on court proceedings is one from the Guardian from August 2003, but it's about a child's experience, and it says things have improved for adults, so I'm not sure you'd be subjected to questioning as bad as the girl it refers to had to put up with. The article is about a television programme that was on that followed a case from when it was first reported to the police to after it had been to court. The rapist was convicted. It says:

"... Stewart's documentary, to be broadcast this month, is also likely to create controversy because it reveals that despite much-touted reforms, which have greatly improved conditions for adults, child-rape victims still have to go through a devastating court ordeal from which the provision of a video link offers little protection."

So maybe you wouldn't have to suffer such questions as the ones it then goes on to give examples of, but I'm not sure. It might be best to prepare for such things just in case.

But I suggest you don't read this unless you're feeling strong, because it's not very nice. If you can focus your mind on your responses rather than worrying about how awful it might be and how horrible the questions are, then hopefully, you'll be allright. It goes on to say:

"Defence: "Is it not true that you [and the defendant] went off walking with your arms around each other?"

Girl: "I can't remember that."

Defence: "Let me put this to you. It was you who suggested to this man when you walked off that you went down the alleyway?"

Girl: "No."

Defence: "And you went down willingly."

Girl: "Well, he told me it was a quick way and I thought it could be."

Defence: "How was he able to get your trousers and knickers off?"

Girl: "He pulled them."

Defence: "Did you want him to take them off?"

Girl: "I bent forward and tried to push him away. I was crying and screaming all the way and I told him I didn't want to do it."

Defence: "He didn't put his penis inside you, did he?"

Girl: "A little bit, yes."

Defence: "You never saw it at any stage. How do you know it went inside you?"

Girl: "I could feel it pushing."

Defence: "I suggest you were not crying or screaming and you took your own tracksuit bottoms and knickers off and laid down on top of them."

Girl: "No."

Defence: "I suggest you heard the car and you stood up yourself saying you did not want anything else."

Girl: "No."

Defence: "That is when you started shouting and screaming you had been raped".

Girl: "No."

Defence: "He was telling you to shut up because you hadn't been raped."

Girl: " No."

Defence: "He didn't rape you."

Girl: "Yes he did. I would not be here if he didn't."

Sharon Hancock, who has been with the South Yorkshire sexual offences unit for six years, specialises in the cases of abused children and it was she who
questioned the girl in the rape suite.

What did she think of the attempted character assassination of the girl?

"This poor 14-year-old," she says, "was slated for wearing a skimpy top. But it was summer - when everybody wears strappy tops. ..."