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Background – my father is due to go to court shortly accused of abusing his step daughter (charges include rape). The alleged offences took place when his step daughter was between the ages of 10 and 16 (6 years ago at the end). My father has been divorced from his former wife for 3 years.
Prosecution – claim that my father systematically abused his step daughter in the family home. There is no supporting evidence to back up theses claims from any other family member. The evidence against my father is purely from his step daughter’s statement plus circumstantial evidence in terms of comments made by his step daughter to her friends during the alleged abuse period. The only other negative point is that my father asked advice from a serving police officer about the case around the time of his arrest; the officer has reported the conversations to cover his back. Whilst my father made comments that he now regrets (and will have to explain), he never admitted to anything that constituted an offence.
Defence – my father admits to the fact that he had adult (18+) consensual sex with his step daughter but never whilst she was under the age of 16 and has categorically denied any wrong doing whilst he lived in the family home. His explanation for the whole case is that his step daughter has made up the story to justify herself to her mother.
Concerns – my father is 65 (and used look young for his age), this experience has aged him considerably. He has no experience of the sort of pressure he will be under in court and to be quite frank, the way he speaks and looks do not do him any favours in front of a jury. Secondly the legal advice he has had does not impress me. He recently met his barrister, who had not pre-read the statements, and despite the fact that my father took a friend along for support he barrister was insistent that the meeting was just him, the barrister and his solicitor.
Advice – what rights does my father have in terms of requesting further reviews with his barrister or solicitor (with my support), he has had no feedback on the comments we generated against all of the statements and he quite simply ill prepared for his court appearance in 3 weeks time.
any advice would be greatly appreciated
Prosecution – claim that my father systematically abused his step daughter in the family home. There is no supporting evidence to back up theses claims from any other family member. The evidence against my father is purely from his step daughter’s statement plus circumstantial evidence in terms of comments made by his step daughter to her friends during the alleged abuse period. The only other negative point is that my father asked advice from a serving police officer about the case around the time of his arrest; the officer has reported the conversations to cover his back. Whilst my father made comments that he now regrets (and will have to explain), he never admitted to anything that constituted an offence.
Defence – my father admits to the fact that he had adult (18+) consensual sex with his step daughter but never whilst she was under the age of 16 and has categorically denied any wrong doing whilst he lived in the family home. His explanation for the whole case is that his step daughter has made up the story to justify herself to her mother.
Concerns – my father is 65 (and used look young for his age), this experience has aged him considerably. He has no experience of the sort of pressure he will be under in court and to be quite frank, the way he speaks and looks do not do him any favours in front of a jury. Secondly the legal advice he has had does not impress me. He recently met his barrister, who had not pre-read the statements, and despite the fact that my father took a friend along for support he barrister was insistent that the meeting was just him, the barrister and his solicitor.
Advice – what rights does my father have in terms of requesting further reviews with his barrister or solicitor (with my support), he has had no feedback on the comments we generated against all of the statements and he quite simply ill prepared for his court appearance in 3 weeks time.
any advice would be greatly appreciated