We are currently conducting a UK nationwide study into the use of civil litigation by perpetrators of sexual violence who use civil lawsuits against their victims in order to silence them, cause secondary trauma, and revictimisation. So far, there is only anecdotal evidence on this practice in the UK, thus we are looking to provide statistics and testimonials in order to further campaign efforts for victim protections in this area.
Following #metoo and the outpouring of survivor stories and the naming of abusers online this practice has significantly increased. Not just amongst celebrities and wealthy individuals but by lesser known people too. The impact these cases have on survivors are significant both emotionally and financially.
If you are a victim/ survivor of sexual violence who has been subject to threats of a lawsuit or a lawsuit by your perpetrator for things such as libel, defamation, misuse of private information, press injunctions, or something similar and are happy to contribute to this research please fill in the survey following the link below. https://qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_elAUAwrwnnJ0ww5
For more information on this research please contact our researcher at lucy@thegeminiproject.org.
Survey into sexual assault and harassment on nights out
By Chloe Vidal for The Gemini Project (2021).
The Gemini Project 