Louise Ellison/ Gloria Origgi/ Stephen Vullo

Listen to the podcast

6.30 – 8pm, Monday 16 May 2016

Wolfson Theatre, LSE

Speakers

Louise Ellison, Professor of Law (University of Leeds)

Gloria Origgi, Researcher (Institut Jean Nicod, CNRS, Paris)

Stephen Vullo QC, Criminal Barrister

Chair

Peter Dennis, Fellow (Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE) and Forum for European Philosophy Fellow

Sexual offences have frequently gone unpunished because victims have not been believed. This stands in the way of justice and constitutes an additional wrong; according to one victim, not being believed by the police ‘was almost worse than the rape itself’. In light of this, many have called for a ‘right to be believed’. But how can this be reconciled with the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’? And when, if at all, do we have a right that someone should believe our testimony? Our panel—a philosopher, a barrister, and a legal theorist—will debate these questions.

Image credit: Lucy, ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil‘