Guidance aims to dispel ‘new rape myths’

The digital age of sexting, nudes and adult websites causes issues in the prosecution of sexual assault cases.

Prosecutors in rape and sexual assault cases need to recognise the change in sexual behaviour in the digital era, according to new draft guidelines.

Recommendations drawn up by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) say that prosecutors should discount ‘new rape myths’, such as women consenting to sex because they have previously sent sexual messages to their attacker.

Between 2019–20, 1,439 alleged rapists were convicted of rape or lesser offences, showing a striking 25 per cent decrease from the previous year.

When faced with unemployment, Saskia Montesdeoca-Alonso, aged 18 from Essex, turned to the popular subscription based adult website, OnlyFans.

“I would post photographs of myself in my underwear. I would also take requests for a higher price — I would usually be nude in those pictures.”

She added: “It angers and upsets me to think that some people do not understand that consent has to be consistent. If someone sends an explicit photograph, that does not mean they consent to anything in the future.”

A public consultation on the new guidance will run until January 18, 2021.