Victims of rape and sexual assault or violence will be spared the stress of being cross examined in court, under a new scheme.
Ten more courts, including nine in the North West, will now allow victims and witnesses of crimes such as rape and modern slavery to have their cross-examination video-recorded and played later during trial. This is subject to a successful application to the court.
The measure, which is already in place in 37 Crown Courts including Liverpool, sees the recording takes place as close to the time of the offence as possible, while memories remain fresh, and helps victims avoid the stress of giving evidence in a courtroom setting, which many find traumatic.
