Mr Z

Mr Z was convicted in October 1990 of indecent assault, incest, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Mr Z received a sentence of nine years’ imprisonment.

The CCRC inherited an application for review of the conviction from the Home Office in March 1997.

The complainant at trial had given evidence that she had been regularly sexually assaulted by Mr Z, her father, from the age of 12 and over many years.

The case came to court at a time when the complainant was an adult.

Expert evidence was presented at trial by a relatively inexperienced doctor who stated that she could establish from medical examination that the complainant had had regular sexual intercourse over a period of some years.

During review, the CCRC obtained new expert medical evidence from gynaecological consultants who concluded that the trial expert’s evidence had been overstated and was “too sweeping” in its findings.

The CCRC considered that this new evidence may have influenced the jury’s decision had it been available at trial.

The CCRC referred the conviction in December 1998.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in February 2002.