A small women’s human rights charity today (10 March) launched a major CrowdJustice fundraising drive as it announced that in just seven days time (on 17 March) it will face the Crown Prosecution Service at the High Court, where senior judges will consider the admissibility of their case claiming the CPS has “raised the bar” on rape charging decisions and is discriminating against and harming women.
The End Violence Against Women Coalition, supported by its lawyers at the Centre for Women’s Justice, has already raised around £30,000 since it began the case against the CPS last Summer. But it is asking people to ‘chip in’ again because the unusual way in which the case is to be heard next week leaves the charity at risk of being required to pay the CPS’ costs in full if the case is stopped at this stage.
Much of the money already pledge was given in £10 and £20 from sums from women leaving messages to EVAW including:
“I want change. Because I won’t get justice for what was done to me.”
“I think my case is about to be dropped. I’m not an innocent-enough victim. If they take my phone they’ll find my sexual history which has been wild and joyful but I know they’ll use it against me. I think they’ll use all their resources to suggest a woman like me can’t be raped. But I was raped.”
“I myself have been let down by our justice system and support other women who have also been grievously let down too. The way this crime is considered is out of date, unfair and completely unjust. Thank you for standing up for every victim.”
“Thank you for standing up for me, no one will ever pay for the abuse done to me, except me for the rest of my life.”
“This needs to be fought. Thank you for doing it for all of us.”
If the EVAW Coalition is refused permission to proceed further next week, this money could be swallowed up by the very institution women’s rights campaigners accuse of going backwards on rape prosecutions.
Read the full press release here.