Content warning: mentions of rape, sexual assault
Concerns that rare sleep disorder is being used as an ‘escape route’ in sexual offence trials prompt calls for safeguards to protect victims and the public
Archived version: https://archive.ph/s0yM8
Important to emphasise that this is a real, and distressing condition.
But if it is real there will usually be a plenty of evidence that it is real. Sexsomniacs most often attack the person lying asleep next to them, and they’re horrified and confused when they realise what has happened. The CPS should not be dropping cases simply because the defendant can afford expensive lawyers. And the case where they claimed the victim had sexsomnia is outrageous.
Not sure on case specifics but I’ve had an encounter with someone who had “sexsomnia” and didn’t know it… I didn’t even know it had a name until I read this. Thankfully they woke up before anything happened but I could easily see how a “victim” could have it/do it and be unaware
