Sexual assault victims less likely to come forward because phone evidence might ...

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Victims of sexual assault may be less likely to come forward if personal information from their phones is shared as evidence in court, over fears they may be blamed for their attack in the 'digital equivalent of a short skirt'. 

Sara Thornton, chairwoman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said evidence disclosure is important, but insists that officers must balance that against the risk of discouraging victims. 

Charges and prosecutions for sexual offences remain below average when compared to other crimes in the UK.

Last year, police forces were hit by several cases where errors in evidence disclosure led to the collapse of sexual assault trials.