Historic Sex Abuse Solicitors

Historic allegations are categorised, and sentenced, according to the law as it stood at the time of the alleged offence — not the law as it stands today. That usually turns on a single date: 1 May 2004.

Offences alleged to have taken place before that date are governed by the Sexual Offences Act 1956, under which, for example, rape carried a maximum of life imprisonment and indecent assault carried up to 10 years for victims aged 13 or over. Offences alleged after that date fall under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, with its own definitions and sentencing framework.

Because physical or forensic evidence is often unavailable after this much time, historic cases usually turn heavily on the accounts given by both parties, together with whatever surrounding evidence — contemporaneous records, other witnesses, medical history — genuinely survives.

This is precisely why care is needed before interview: being asked to recall specific dates, conversations or details from years or decades ago is genuinely difficult, and there's an important difference between what you can honestly recall and what you might feel pressured to guess at.

We take particular care with historic allegations — testing the evidence that does exist, identifying which statutory framework applies to the dates alleged, and making sure any account you give reflects what you can genuinely recall rather than being pressured into more than that.

• Careful advice before interview, without pressure to speculate
• Assessment of what evidence realistically survives after this much time
• Advice on which Sexual Offences Act applies to the dates alleged
• Representation through to trial