24 May 2023
Stricter safeguards will apply to police requests to access rape victims’ therapy notes or other personal records during the investigation stage, under a government amendment last week to the Victims and Prisoners Bill.
The amendment sets out that police should only request material that is absolutely necessary and proportionate to the investigation. It aims to end expansive fishing expeditions for information that can be irrelevant and used to undermine the credibility of the victim. The reform will be implemented through a code of conduct.
Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk said the reform would ‘end invasive unnecessary requests for therapy notes for rape victims’.
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