For women who have survived sexual assault, giving evidence in court can be difficult. But for some, the worry begins even before they enter the courtroom. What should they wear? Will their appearance affect how people judge them? Two Scottish women who faced these questions during their own trials have now launched a campaign to help others going through a similar experience.Sarah Lee, 39, and Kayla Poulton, 36, have started CourtRobe, an initiative offering free clothing and personal shopping assistance to women preparing to give evidence in court. The campaign is particularly aimed at those who may not have enough money to buy suitable clothes for their court appearance.The women are working with the Emma Ritch Law Clinic at the University of Glasgow to bring the initiative to more people. They are approaching department stores across Scotland for clothing donations and shopping vouchers. According to BBC Scotland, the plan is for participating retailers to arrange free appointments where women can choose what they feel comfortable wearing.The initiative also aims to prepare shop staff for these appointments through specialist training. Sarah and Kayla want women to receive support from people who understand that shopping for a court appearance after sexual assault can be an emotionally difficult experience. Their aim is not to tell women what they should wear, but to help them make that decision without additional pressure.
How their own court experiences led to CourtRobe
Sarah and Kayla know how much thought can go into choosing clothes for court because they experienced it themselves. While preparing to give evidence in their respective cases, both became worried that their appearance might influence how others viewed them.For Sarah, the trial was an extremely difficult period. Along with preparing to speak about her experience, she found herself thinking about details that might otherwise have seemed unimportant. Her clothes, hairstyle and overall appearance became additional sources of anxiety.She worried that people in court might judge her personally instead of concentrating on her evidence. Even deciding how much of her body to cover became something she questioned.Kayla had similar concerns, although her experience involved different clothing choices. She initially thought about wearing a dress but worried about how it might be perceived. She also questioned whether wearing heels would create the wrong impression.In the end, Kayla decided to wear trousers and a blouse. But even after making that choice, she remained uneasy. She began wondering whether the material of her blouse might be too transparent.Her concerns reflected a larger fear that someone might judge her clothing and use it to form an opinion about the sexual assault she had experienced.Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Kayla explained the thoughts that troubled her while preparing for court. “You just overthink. You don’t want people to think, oh, she deserved that. Oh, if she dressed like that, then, well, she deserved it,” she said.It was this experience of worrying about something as ordinary as clothing that eventually brought the two women together around the idea of CourtRobe.
Why the campaign is focusing on clothing
CourtRobe is intended to remove one source of worry for women who are already preparing for a difficult court appearance.Under the proposed arrangement, women would be able to visit participating shops and receive help selecting an outfit without having to pay for the clothing or the personal shopping service.The campaign is also seeking vouchers and donations from retailers, particularly to support women who cannot easily afford additional expenses.For Sarah and Kayla, the important part is giving women a choice. They want survivors to feel comfortable in what they wear rather than spend time worrying about whether a particular outfit will create a negative impression.The specialist training planned for shop staff is another part of that approach. It is intended to help employees understand why a woman preparing to give evidence in a sexual assault case might need a more sensitive and supportive shopping experience.
Research raises concerns about how witnesses are judged
The worries described by Sarah and Kayla also connect to concerns raised by Rape Crisis Scotland about the treatment of witnesses in sexual assault trials.According to the BBC Scotland report, the organisation referred to research examining whether a witness’s appearance could affect how juries assessed their evidence.Nicola Love, a spokeswoman for Rape Crisis Scotland, said the research suggested that witnesses whose clothing was viewed as revealing or provocative could be judged as less believable.Love also drew attention to the financial burden of attending court. She said the expenses associated with the process did not receive enough attention.
