Research by Professor Cheryl Thomas QC (Hon) cited in Parliamentary debate

Research by Professor Cheryl Thomas QC (Hon), Director of the UCL Jury Project and Professor of Judicial Studies at UCL Laws, on whether juries believe myths and stereotypes surrounding rape has been cited during a parliamentary debate today.

The debate concerned the reasons behind what are claimed to be low levels of successful rape prosecutions – specifically, how stereotypes and attitudes to rape may affect juries.

Professor Thomas's study is examining to what extent real jurors in actual cases believe myths about rape; and whether any additional educational materials can be helpful in ensuring such myths and stereotypes are not applied in rape or sexual offence cases.

Find out more about the UCL Jury Project’s ground-breaking research on the jury system.

Watch the debate now