Description
Minnow Films for BBC3
Stacey Dooley explores the challenges of reporting rape when the alleged perpetrator is someone you know and asks whether the justice system delivers what those desperate to be believed hope for. With an increasing number of rape cases going to court and growing court backlogs, complainants are left waiting years for their day in court—prolonging their trauma and testing their resilience.
Filmed over three years, this powerful documentary follows 23 year old Jessie who has reported being raped by an ex-boyfriend, 19 year old Emma who says she has been orally raped by a fellow college student, and 22 year old Becca who reported being raped by someone she was dating, having had consensual sex earlier that evening.
They have all waived their legal right to anonymity, as they fight to have their voices heard in a system under immense strain. Once their case begins, they will face intense cross-examinations, with verdicts sometimes resting solely on their word. But in cases built on personal testimony alone, verdicts sometimes rest solely on whom the jury believes.
A compelling and unflinching look at rape and a justice system struggling to deliver for those who need it most.