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Guidance on Reporting Sexual Offences

Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) (2020), 17 pp.
"There are legal protections for victims of sexual offences. The Editors’ Code of Practice also puts restrictions on reporting of sexual offences to protect the identity of victims. Carefully consider the information you want to publish to ensure that a victim is not identified, or likely to be identified. Take care when making enquiries to avoid disclosure of a victim’s identity. Additional protections apply in cases involving children, especially when there is a familial relationship between defendant and victim. A number of clauses in the Code are relevant to the issue of reporting sexual offences. The most relevant clauses are Clause 7 (Children in sex cases) and Clause 11 (Victims of sexual assault) but other clauses to consider include Clause 1 (Accuracy), Clause 2 (Privacy) and Clause 6 (Children)." (Key points)