Serious Sexual Offences

Valerie has prosecuted and defended in many cases involving children and family members. She has extensive experience in handling vulnerable witnesses and defendants and can utilise her detailed knowledge of mental health issues, including the impact of trauma on vulnerable witnesses and defendants.

She has appeared in numerous cases of serious sexual offences including rape, abduction, child sexual abuse and possession of indecent images. She has defended teachers, scout masters and priests, often instructed privately.

She is adept at eliciting relevant evidence from social services records and presenting her case persuasively to the jury.

Valerie has extensive experience in making and responding to bad character applications and hearsay applications in such cases.

Many of the cases she has acted in include high-profile media coverage. In her role as Recorder of the South Eastern Circuit she organised the roll-out of training across the Circuit of the Vulnerable Witness Advocacy Training programme. As the lead facilitator for the Circuit she trains other facilitators.