23-year-old Client Found Not Guilty of Rape

Case study summary

Our client was a 23-year-old man with autism. He was charged with rape and adamantly denied this. Following extensive preparation of his defence, including a psychological report, he was found not guilty by all 12 jurors after a 4-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Case study

In early 2022, we were approached by our client's parents after he was charged with rape. The allegation dated back to 2019 and had been brought forward by his ex-girlfriend. This was an incredibly difficult time for our client and his family. As someone who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, our client's understanding of social situations was affected and so to speak with lawyers was an anxious task. Knowing he would need lawyers who not only understood the offence but also autism spectrum disorder, we were contacted.

After a meeting with our client and his parents, we were instructed right away and got to work with understanding both the allegation and our client. It was clear from our first meeting that this was a young man facing the most difficult time in his life and so emotional support was needed as well as legal guidance.

We had many meetings where we took instructions on our client's relationship with his ex-girlfriend. Most importantly he also explained how autism affects him throughout his daily life. After spending some time with him, we knew that a specialist barrister was required and we carefully chose someone we knew understood autism well. This was to play a key part in the outcome of the case.

Over the next year, we worked closely with our barrister and our client to build a picture of the case. The key issue in evidence was a text message that the prosecution claimed to be an admission of guilt. Our client explained this was not an admission but an attempt to take blame for something he had not done in hope of repairing his relationship. For anyone who does not understand autism, this would seem a difficult point to prove. Therefore, we instructed a psychologist who was able to meet with our client and provide a report detailing his difficulties with social cues and communication. This including a key conclusion that our client is more likely to admit to something he has not done as a result of his autism.

The next important task was reviewing 6,000 pages of text messages between our client and his ex-girlfriend. Although a lengthy task, it was by doing this we found discussions of consent, agreement of 'safety taps' when either of them felt uncomfortable and plans by the ex-girlfriend to drink alcohol. This was key for our client's defence as the prosecution had alleged he was the one forcing alcohol upon her.

By the time we came to trial, we had found an abundance of material to rebut the prosecution's case. During cross-examination our specialist barrister was able to draw the truth from our client's ex-girlfriend. She admitted she was not as drunk as she first made out and in fact knew what she was doing.

On the fourth day of trial, the jury were sent away to consider their verdict. After only 20 minutes they returned and unanimously found our client not guilty of rape. In an unexpected turn of events, the judge confirmed his personal opinion was that this case should not have made it to trial and that the jury should hold their heads high for their service to this case.

Our client was overwhelmed after what had been a turbulent 3-and-a-half-years of his life. He was able to leave court that day a free man and finally begin his life again after being in limbo for so long.