As Rape on Trial continues, we're back in the public gallery of the Crown Court for Dean’s trial. He is charged with the rape and sexual assault of Anya, his partner at the time.

As in previous episodes, Dean’s trial involves another rape case the mainstream narrative tells us shouldn’t succeed: an allegation of intimate partner relationship rape with no forensic evidence, no CCTV, and no eyewitnesses — just one person’s word against another’s.

In this, the first of three episodes covering Dean's trial, we hear the prosecution’s opening of the case and the start of the complainant’s evidence.

Part of Criminal Justice in Action: Rape on Trial, this episode continues the season’s mission to cut through myths and misconceptions about rape in the criminal justice system, and to show how the criminal process really works in practice.

**Listener discretion is advised**

The broader research underpinning this season of Criminal Justice in Action is reported in our book, Doak et al, Cross-examination on Trial: Advocacy and Vulnerability in Criminal Trials (BUP 2025).  The book examines cross-examination across the UK and Ireland drawing on trial observations, practitioner interviews, and a linguistic analysis of courtroom exchanges in light of recent reforms.

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If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, please visit our website https://criminaljusticeinaction.com for information about help and support.

Music: Hopeless Waltz by Alena Smirnova.

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