The truth: Research shows that false allegations of rape are rare and only represent 0.6% of the cases brought to court. A 2012 CPS report1 shows just 35 prosecutions for making false allegations of rape over a 17-month period compared to 5651 prosecutions for rape.

The truth: Rape and sexual assault affect everyone – men, women and children as well as members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. Men are more likely to be victims of rape than falsely accused of rape (2).

The Crime Survey of England and Wales (3) estimates that 4% of men have experienced some type of sexual assault since the age of 16 and that an estimated 138,000 men aged 16 to 59 experienced sexual assault in the year ending March 2017.

According to Stonewall (4), 13% of respondents to an LGBT survey had experienced unwanted sexual contact.

The truth: Threat provokes humans to respond in one of five predictable: Fight; Flight; Freeze; Friend; and Flop (5). The emotional brain (the amygdala) will automatically trigger the response needed for survival.

So, if an individual cannot fight or flee – they may freeze becoming unconsciously immobile, attempt to socially engage a perpetrator or flop in a way that they submit to the perpetrator in order to stay alive.

The truth: This is plain and simple victim-blaming. Perpetrators are always responsible for the choice they made to rape or sexually assault another person.

The truth: The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in 2019 (6), found less than half of the children (42%) who experienced sexual abuse in Children’s Home and Residential Care Institutions reported it at the time. They cited fear of retribution by the institution, fear of the perpetrator and the fear of not being believed as reasons for not reporting. Of those who did report to someone in authority at the institution, most said their claims were denied, minimised or deflected.

The IICSA report (2019) (7) into Child Sexual Abuse within religious institutions found only around a third of children (32%) reported it at the time. Barriers to disclosure included the lack of a relationship with a trusted adult; feelings of shame and embarrassment; lack of education around sex and abuse; and fear of the power and influence of the religious community.

Again, where disclosures were made to a person in authority at the institution, many said that they were disbelieved, had their experiences of abuse minimised and little or no action was taken.

Children often do not tell because they are scared for themselves, their family or their pets due to threats made by the abuser; they worry they will be blamed or punished; or feel guilt or shame (Engel, 1990) (8).

The truth: Child sexual abuse has a long-term impact on a survivor’s physical health, mental health and interpersonal relationships. It is associated with later substance misuse, lower educational attainment, higher unemployment and homelessness and increased vulnerability to sexual re-victimisation (9).

There is evidence of increased suicidal behaviours in women with histories of Child Sexual Abuse (10). With the right support, children can rebuild their lives, relationships and reach their potential.

The truth: Sexual abusers come from all walks of life. They can be friendly, charming. They are also manipulative and seek out and prey on the vulnerable. Office of National Statistics data (2020) (11) shows that in 2019, Child Sexual Abuse was most likely to have been perpetrated by a friend or acquaintance.

The truth: Anyone can be a perpetrator of sexual violence. According to an Office of National Statistics report (12), in 2018-19, 3.8% of all child sexual abusers including rape, were female.

The truth: According to a report published by the Ministry of Justice, Home Office and Office of National Statistics (13), 90% of rapes are committed by a person known to the victim such as a friend, acquaintance, colleague, partner or ex-partner.

The truth: In 1992, the law was extended to give protection within relationships. In 2019-20, 16% (14) of all rape prosecutions were flagged as ‘domestic abuse’ rape cases. The prevalence of women in England, Scotland and Wales sexually assaulted by an intimate partner in their lifetime (including attempted assaults) has been estimated as 14.2% (World Health Organization, 2002) (15).

The truth: A person can be guilty of rape – even if they believed the person consented. The belief in the person’s consent must be ‘reasonable’. The court will assess the ‘reasonableness’ of the steps taken by the person to establish whether a complainant consented.

The truth: Rape and sexual assault are violence assaults acted out in a sexual way. They are crimes of power and control – and are not about passion or sexual gratification. The decision to rape or sexually assault is always something a person can control.

Everybody has the right to stop sexual activity at any time, no matter how far into the act they are. If a partner says to stop and a person continues, they are committing a crime.

The truth: If a partner is saying ‘no’, it must always be taken seriously. Consent must always be clear. Is someone has previously consented to sex, it does not mean they consent to sex on every occasion. Consent to one sexual act does not mean consent to other sexual acts (e.g. anal sex). Consent to sex with a condom means just that – the removal of a condom during sex removes the basis on which the consent was given.

The truth: The CPS decision to stop a case on evidential grounds does not mean that an allegation is false. It means that the case does not meet the evidential test required to put an allegation before a jury under the Code for Crown Prosecutors. Similarly, an acquittal does not mean the allegation was false – it means the jury were not satisfied ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that the offence was committed.

The truth: An Freedom of Information (FOI) request by The Yorkshire Post (17) found over 80 police cautions had been issued in Yorkshire for sexual offences including rape, since 2015.