Cheshire lawyer starts up first female ran sexual defence law firm

Jessica Wilson, 34, has 15 years of experience in criminal law, working with several law firms all over the north.

And she is hoping to become the face of justice for those wrongly accused of sexual offences.

The former Great Sankey High pupil launched her very own firm Eventum Legal last month on July 8, with the office based in Manchester city centre, and Jessica confirmed that so far business has ‘taken off’.

Currently only staffed by herself and her colleague Claire Shard, the pair hope to grow the firm into a success.

Speaking on the launch of the company, owner Jessica said: “I have worked in criminal law firms throughout the north and specialised in sexual offences for a large proportion of that time.

“I decided to open my own firm, it is something I have always wanted to do. When we opened it was a mix of emotions, it was both exciting and terrifying.

“I want to show the other side of domestic abuse and sexual assault cases.

“We offer a unique and specialist service to those wrongly accused of some of the most damning criminal offences.

“We offer first class support regardless of the allegation, a person’s circumstances or age.

“The discussion of sexual offences can still be regarded a taboo subject, however, there are men and women falsely accused every day and we must not forget that for the hundreds of those who do sadly fall victim to such offending, there are still false allegations made.”

Owner Jessica Wilson (right) and employee Claire Shard (left) (Image: Supplied)
During Jessica's years of experience, in recent times she noted how there has been a rise in cases of young people being falsely accused of sexual assault.

“There are so many young people that we talk to, young men and women that have been accused of sexual assault and rape and I believe that the increase in sexual allegations is linked to the vast number of offences being discussed in the media and what is easily accessible on social media and online.”

Jessica spoke of a previous client she represented in court who was a university student and was accused of rape after having sexual relations with a girl.

She recalled how the girl in question ‘set up’ and recorded the entire encounter and went to the police to report that she had been raped.

This client spent months under investigation, but the case was eventually no further actioned following representations made to the Crown Prosecution Service on his behalf.

But the 'physical and mental impact this had on the client were devastating to see'.

Identifying social media as a potential catalyst for the rise in these accusations, the mum-of-two added that sometimes the accusers of these offences are influenced by what they see on social media.

"There is no getting away from the fact that sexual allegations have increased in the wake of highly publicised sexual cases concerning celebrities."

Jess stated that some accusations may also be ‘attention’ fuelled.

The law firm director also told the Warrington Guardian of her passion for helping youths in criminal cases, having always had an interest in keeping children out of the judicial system and focusing more on educating them on the laws surrounding youth sexual offending.

Eventum Legal is a member of the Youth Justice Legal Centre, and prides itself on its dedication to offering the best legal advice and care to children within the justice system, she said.

“In schools now all over the country we are seeing children sending sexualised images on phones, with no malicious intent, but not understanding that it is a criminal offence”.

The barrister recalled another case she worked on involving two 14-year-old brothers. One of the brothers was sent an indecent picture of a girl student at their school that had been circulating around the school and was originally sent by her.

One of the boys sent the picture on to another contact in their phone. Suddenly they had the police at their home address, and they were handcuffed and arrested, facing charges of the making of indecent images.

Law firm owner Jessica Wilson (Image: Supplied)

Jessica explained that it concluded to be a ‘no action case’ but that if the boys had been charged, they could have been put on the sex offenders register which may have affected their education and future as a whole.

“I have always had an interest in youth work because I have seen how devastating it can be for children, the impact on their future plans and also the impact on their families."

“Don’t get me wrong, if there is evidence there, I will advise a client to plead guilty,” she added. “I am hoping to help those who have been wrongly accused.”

She also wants to encourage those facing sexual offence and rape charges who require representation to get in contact with solicitors at an early stage during the police investigation.

Jessica has previously defended clients at this stage, and it is greatly encouraged by the CPS and the government that pre-charge engagement between the police and defence lawyers takes place.

“We want to raise awareness that you can contact us before any charges are made.

"Investigations into sexual offence cases can go on for years in some cases, and suspects have the right to be protected and for their legal rights to be advanced.

“You can instruct a solicitor who will then liaise with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to see if the case really needs to go to court or if we can raise evidential weaknesses at that stage to the CPS to prevent a formal prosecution."

Alongside growing her new legal firm, Jessica also is hoping to speak in schools and educate students on the pathways you can take to get into law.

After studying at the University of Manchester, she went on to qualify as a Chartered Legal Executive lawyer before qualifying as a Practitioner Advocate.

She noted that this is not your typical route to law but one that is certainly increasing due to the benefits it provides to those who want to specialise in a particular area.

To find out more about Eventum Legal visit the website www.eventumlegal.co.uk