Three quarters of people in the UK believe rape suspects should be given anonymity until they are convicted, a poll has suggested.

A survey carried out by ComRes on behalf of the Independent found there was strong public support for those accused of sex assaults to have their identity protected unless proven guilty.

It comes after senior lawyer Maura McGowan, chairwoman of the Bar Council, argued earlier this year that the law should be changed because allegations of a sexual nature ”carry such a stigma”.

Under current legislation, people who complain they have been the victims of sexual offences automatically receive anonymity, but suspects do not.

Around 76% of people in today’s poll agree with the statement that “people accused of a sexual assault should be given anonymity until they are proven guilty”.

The poll found 18% disagreed and 6% did not know.

There was a difference of just 4% between the number of women (74%) and men (78%) who supported a reform in the law.

The survey found 95% of Lib Dem supporters backed the idea, compared to 76% of Conservatives and 75% of Labour supporters.

Jill Saward, who became the first UK rape victim to waive her right to anonymity in 1990, told the Independent she felt “incredibly sad” about the findings.

“People do not understand the danger involved in sexual violence, and don’t see the need to protect people from it.

“I am very sad that people seem to think that protecting men is often more important than protecting those who, for whatever reason, end up victims.”

She added that granting sex assault suspects anonymity would amount to “victim blaming” and insisted the number of false claims for sexual assaults was in line with other types of offences.

In February Ms McGowan told the BBC that she would support a change in the law to protect the identities of sex assault suspects.

“Until they they have been proven to have done something as awful as this – I think there is a strong argument in cases of this sort, because they carry such stigma with them, to maintain the defendant’s anonymity, until he is convicted,” she said.

“But once the defendant is convicted then of course everything should be open to scrutiny and to the public.”

However she admitted there is a “public interest” argument in open justice.

“People would say that they are entitled to know not simply who’s convicted but who’s been accused,” she added.

Ms McGowan’s stance was backed by Terry Harrison, who was falsely accused of rape five years ago and contemplated suicide because of the abuse he suffered after he was named in the media.

He told the BBC: “Innocent until proven guilty is a load of rubbish. I was guilty until I was proven innocent and even when I was proven innocent, I’m still getting judged.”

Anonymity was granted to rape defendants under the 1976 Sexual Offences Act, but removed in 1988.