A new campaign called CourtRobe is working to alleviate the stress women experience when testifying in sexual assault trials by assisting them with clothing choices and providing support through trauma-informed training for retail staff. The initiative, co-founded by rape survivor Sarah Lee and Kayla Poulton, aims to empower women by helping them feel more confident and less judged on their appearance during what is often a profoundly difficult period.
Lee, 39, shared her anxieties about testifying, stating, "Should I wear this? How will that look? How am I going to be perceived? Will I be judged?" She recalled the intense pressure of anticipating judgment based on her appearance rather than her testimony, describing the trial as one of the darkest times in her life. Poulton, 36, echoed these concerns, recounting her own worries about whether a dress might be seen as too provocative or if a blouse was too sheer. "You just overthink. You don't want people to think, oh, she deserved that. Oh, if she dressed like that, then, well, she deserved it," Poulton said.
The CourtRobe project collaborates with the Emma Ritch Law Clinic at the University of Glasgow. It seeks donations of clothing and vouchers from high street stores in Scotland. The initiative is particularly aimed at supporting women with limited incomes, helping them select outfits they feel comfortable and confident wearing in court. The program will also offer personal shopper sessions.
Nicola Love, a spokesperson for Rape Crisis Scotland, noted that research suggests appearance can influence perceptions in sexual assault trials. "We've seen research, we've seen evidence from juries that if it's deemed to be a revealing piece of clothing or a provocative piece of clothing, they find that witness less credible," Love stated. She added that the organization fully supports the CourtRobe initiative, emphasizing that the choice of outfit should be the least of a survivor's worries. "Having a service that is able to take that stress away is incredibly important and would make an incredibly distressing, stressful experience, feel significantly less stressful," Love commented.
CourtRobe's founders believe that providing this support will help women feel more prepared and less intimidated when facing court proceedings. The aim is to reduce the stigma that Poulton feels women often encounter during sexual assault trials, where they may worry excessively about the jury's perception of them as individuals rather than focusing on the perpetrator on trial. "CourtRobe is about empowering women at a time where they feel really vulnerable," Poulton concluded.