About
This website brings together recent research projects by Dr Olivia Smith on victim-survivor justice after sexual violence.
These projects aim to contribute to conversations about how justice responses to sexual violence can better reflect the needs, rights, and experiences of those most affected.
Legal advice for sexual violence complainants
This project evaluated a London pilot offering free, independent legal advice to adult complainants of sexual violence.
A legal advice pilot was funded by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and delivered by the Centre for Women’s Justice and Women & Girls Network. It was designed to address a gap in support for complainants navigating the criminal justice process, particularly where they needed help to understand their rights, make informed decisions, or challenge decisions affecting their case.
The evaluation explored whether legal advice could improve complainants’ experiences of justice, with a particular focus on procedural justice: whether people felt heard, respected, informed, and able to participate meaningfully in the process.
Belief after sexual violence
This project explores what ‘belief’ means to victim-survivors after sexual violence.
The project is led by Dr Kelly Johnson at the University of Glasgow and includes Professor Michele Burman, also at the University of Glasgow.
It examines how belief is understood, expressed, and experienced by victim-survivors after sexual violence.
Operation Soteria:
CJS responses
These projects involved widescale collaborations between academics and criminal justice practitioners.
Operation Soteria initially focused on police investigations and victim-survivor engagement. I contributed to work on procedural justice, led by Dr Kelly Johnson and Professor Michele Burman at Glasgow University.
I am also involved in the current post-charge phase of Soteria, which explores how these principles can be extended into the courtroom.