It is that time of year again where people go out with their work colleagues and friends for Christmas parties and meals. Whilst most will enjoy the festivities unfortunately, we have found that Christmas parties can often lead to incidents where sexual assault is alleged. What should you do if this happens to you?
With the increased use of social media platforms such as TikTok we are receiving more enquiries from people who have seen a post on social media accusing them of a serious sexual assault. In this situation we would always advise clients to seek immediate legal advice from a firm that specialises in this area. At Stephensons all our criminal defence solicitors have at least 15 years of experience representing people at the police station and at court for these types of allegations. We would be happy to arrange a one-hour confidential conference to take your instructions, advise you of the law, answer any questions that you have and to prepare an action plan (if applicable). We can usually arrange this within two working days of the initial contact.
Of course, some people are not given any warning of a complaint being made and can find themselves arrested and released on police bail whilst the police investigate this matter. In this situation we again would be happy to arrange a conference to discuss this matter and provide you with legal advice. Even if you had the duty solicitor with you at the police station you do not need to continue instructing this firm and can pick a firm that specialises in this area of law such as Stephensons.
In some cases, people may be charged once they have been arrested and told they need to attend court at a future date. Again, you are under no obligation to continue instructing the duty solicitor you had represent you at the police station and can instruct a different solicitors firm. In this circumstance at Stephensons we would discuss the funding options available to you (legal aid or private paying) and if instructed your case would be allocated to one of our experienced solicitors. They would request the evidence, consider the evidence and begin taking your instructions to prepare your defence.
If convicted of a serious sexual assault the sentence is likely to be a lengthy custodial one and signing on the Sex Offenders Register. This can impact you for the rest of your life. Therefore, it is imperative to seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity to either challenge the evidence at the earliest opportunity to try and avoid the case going to court or to thoroughly prepare the case to defend the allegations at court. If you have been accused or charged with a serious sexual offence, please do not hesitate to contact us on 0161 696 6188 or complete an online enquiry form.
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