Project News and Links

This five-year, interdisciplinary project investigates the role of trauma informed care and neuroscience in transforming trial procedures, courtroom environments, and the treatment, questioning and wellbeing of victims of sexual violence. It will do so through in-depth, empirical case studies in England and Scotland that will examine the emergence of specialty courts and trauma-informed justice in the UK. Throughout the project, the team will work closely with victim-survivors and UK government to evaluate the pilot of Specialist Sexual Violence Support (SSVS) project courts in England and the creation of a trauma-informed Sex Offence Court for Scotland. 

Literature on the nexus between health and justice tends to focus on defendants, recidivism, and the root causes of crime. This research will make a timely and important contribution to theory and praxis by exploring medico-legal interventions aimed at promoting procedural justice and wellbeing for victims of traumatic crime. It will also locate the emergence of trauma-informed justice among the literature on alternative justice theories and interrogate its manifestation in the UK from the perspective of victim-survivors.

The project commenced in January 2025 and will run until September 2029. Updates and outputs will be provided on the project website in due course. For further enquiries, please email the Principal Investigator, Natalie Kyneswood: natalie.kyneswood@csls.ox.ac.uk.

This award builds on Natalie's ESRC funded work on The extension of pre-recorded cross-examination in sex offence cases.

Posted: 29 April 2025

Natalie Kyneswood is currently recruiting for a Postdoctoral Researcher to assist her with research activities during Phase II of the project.

The postholder will be responsible for researching the provision of ‘enhanced support measures’ at one of two SSVS project court sites that form part of the case study, namely Snaresbrook Crown Court (London). It is therefore essential that post holder is ordinarily based in London, or at least resident in London during the duration of the fieldwork, so that they can travel to Snaresbrook Crown Court (to attend and observe court hearings) and surrounding areas (North London and East London) to interview victim-survivors who have relevant experience of SSVS court processes. Travel expenses will be reimbursed but accommodation costs are not provided.

 For further details, please visit the University website. 

Please note that the closing date for applications is 12 noon, midday on Monday 2 June 2025.