Last week, Jones + Associates represented a man at his trial before the Maroochydore District Court, charged with multiple counts of rape arising from an incident that occurred almost a decade ago.

After three days of trial, the jury returned verdicts of not guilty to all charges.

The trial did not involve any eye witnesses to the alleged events that occurred and the prosecution’s case relied heavily on the complainant’s version of events as well as what she told other people (friends and family) before making her complaint to the police. The other piece of evidence relied upon by the crown was a recorded call by the complainant to our client, arranged by the police. These calls are common in mattes such as these and are designed to illicit confessions by defendants

Necessarily, the defence case was then centred on the credibility and the reliability of the complainant.

Matters such as these are becoming increasingly difficult to defend due to our governments’ continuing campaign to introduce increasingly strict laws to effectively ensure that every complaint must be believed, regardless of circumstances.

For this reason, defending matters such as these involves more preparation and nuance than ever before. Now more than ever, an experienced and tactically astute defence team is critical in navigating both the evidence but also the ever tightening rules and legislation surrounding matters of a sexual nature.

Should you or those close to you require advice or assistance in relation to defending a sexual complaint or any other matter, you should contact Jones + Associates on (07) 3229 3166.