Abstract

Conviction rates for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) cases remain low in England and Wales. Research suggests that juror belief in rape myths may be a key factor contributing to such rates owing to the significant impact they can have on jury decision-making. Given this, various proposals have been made as to how juror belief in rape myths could be addressed, including the provision of educational information regarding rape myths in the form of judicial directions or a standardised educational intervention. While stakeholder views have been explored with regards to juror belief in rape myths, limited research has considered their views regarding rape myth acceptance (RMA) interventions for jurors. In this qualitative study we sought to gain insight into the views of victim-survivors who have engaged with the criminal justice system, barristers, and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors/Advocates (ISVAs) regarding juror belief in rape myths and RMA interventions for jurors. Our results from the thematic analysis of 28 interviews highlight both that there is support for the proposal to develop and implement an RMA intervention for jurors, and stakeholder's views regarding key issues that should be considered in the design of such an intervention.