It Could Have Been You

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Ferrira was later caught, with help from a Crimewatch appeal, and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

She says: "A similar system is used in Canada and Holland and it has helped to raise the conviction rate. In court, she was only a witness, and was not allowed to discuss the case with the prosecuting barrister.Here she tells her story with the aim of helping other victims, men and women – navigate the complex, sometimes indifferent, system as well as to provide vital information for those who care for victims. If the police said they expected a test result by a certain date, Merlyn would phone to ask what had happened.

She survived the horrific rape and attempted murder but her fight for recovery and to gain compensation, brought her against some surprising areas of resistance – including the refusal of the NHS to pay for plastic surgery on her neck scars. It is clear that this early experience of loss shaped her and subsequently helped her to overcome the attack. She adds: "It was terrifying taking the stand and going through the most intimate details in front of a room full of strangers. I just felt so lucky to have survived the attack, because I did truly think at three times that my life was over," she says. The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter.by a stranger - no one questioned her account (though she was asked how she was dressed at the time) and she did not, therefore, have to argue "rape" against "she wanted it". In February 1992 Merlyn Nuttall was hurrying to work early one morning, heading for Brixton tube station as usual. And before a Crown Prosecution lawyer decides to either drop a case, reduce the charge or advise police to take no action, they should consult with another specialist prosecutor for a second opinion. As the title of the book implies, Merlyn refuses, absolutely rightly, to accept any shame or blame for the savagery which she suffered. She was not even told until the last minute that she could give evidence hidden from the defendant, which greatly distressed her.

It is clear that while many of the services and people she encountered were exemplary, others were unhelpful and even potentially detrimental. Only a small percentage of women report rape to the police, then only a small percentage of cases actually get to trial. Entertainment Magpie Limited t/a Music Magpie is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority FRN 775278.She survived the horrific rape and attempted murder but her fight for recovery and to gain compensation, brought her against some surprising areas of resistance - including the refusal of the NHS to pay for plastic surgery on her neck scars. She says: "I was fortunate in that the defence did not question what had happened to me -- they were trying to prove it wasn't their client.