Two Sisters Sexually Assaulted by Same Man Silenced by Attacker With Gagging Order

We are two sisters looking to raise funds to cover our legal costs so that we can be represented as we face our attacker in the High Court.  

In August 2017 we were sexually assaulted on the same night by the same man. The man who assaulted us is now trying to silence us with a gagging order in the High Court, citing misuse of private information and harassment, after we spoke out about our experience at the encouragement of the police. 

We fear that if we cannot obtain the necessary funds to cover our legal fees, we would be banned from talking about the abuse we suffered at his hands forever. Please contribute now and share this page with your friends, family and on social media. 

The precedent this case could set is huge and is far greater than ourselves. 

If our abuser were to be successful, this would have implications for many others and allow for rapists to bring similar cases against their victims. 

We cannot allow this to happen, especially as large numbers of victims are finally having the strength to come forward following the #MeToo movement. 

These are discussions we should be encouraging, not shutting down. It is not fair for victims to suffer in silence, or to be forced back into silence by the man who sexually assaulted them.

We have used our experiences to speak out and shine a light on the issues facing survivors of sexual abuse. We set up a non-profit organisation that uses campaigns and advocacy to raise awareness and in doing so it has helped others and ourselves heal. We offer peer support and guidance to other survivors of sexual violence and fear that being silenced will prevent us from continuing this.

When it is thought that there may be other victims of a perpetrator it is important to speak out in the hopes that other victims may come forward which can help secure a criminal conviction. Speaking out also allows victims to reclaim their narrative in an attempt to heal and re-find their voice. Using their voice to tell their story raises awareness, reduces stigma, and creates an environment that encourages other survivors to come forward and disclose. It is paramount that survivors are allowed to state what happened to them and its impacts. If survivors were prevented from speaking out, nothing would ever change.

How much are we raising and why?

We are looking to raise funds so that we can fund our legal representation. We desperately need to raise this so that we do not have to face our abuser alone.  After we reach this initial target, we need to raise as much as possible to successfully fight the injunction our abuser is attempting to place on us. We will be waiving our right to anonymity so that we can crowd fund for our defence team.

Please contribute anything that you are able and share this page now!