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" Rapists are using social media to cover their tracks and reduce their chances of being\u00A0prosecuted, the Director of Public Prosecutions warned yesterday. Speaking at the first National Crown Prosecution Service/Police Conference on Rape Investigations and Prosecutions in London, Alison Saunders\u00A0issued new\u00A0guidelines that are\u00A0set to overhaul the\u00A0way rape cases are handled. During the conference, she\u00A0revealed prosecutors had spotted a trend of perpetrators\u00A0setting up an alibi after a crime had taken place\u00A0- for example, by sending their victim friendly\u00A0messages via text or social media, suggesting they&amp;#039;d enjoyed a night\u00A0together. This chilling warning went hand-in-hand with a\u00A0promising change\u00A0in the way rape cases will be dealt with by police and prosecutors in future, which could see thousands more women receiving the\u00A0justice they deserve. The burden must, Saunders\u00A0announced, be put\u00A0on rape suspects to prove that a woman gave consent\u00A0- and if\u00A0she was too\u00A0drunk to say yes to sex, prosecutors must avoid\u00A0placing blame on the\u00A0victim. Other situations in which consent must be questioned include where a victim was asleep, has learning difficulties, or when a suspect holds a position of power over her such as,\u00A0&amp;quot;a doctor or a\u00A0fellow gang member.&amp;quot;  &amp;quot;We want police and prosecutors to make sure they ask in every case where consent is the issue: how did the suspect know the complainant was saying yes and doing so freely and knowingly?&amp;quot; Saunders said, adding, &amp;quot;It is not a crime to drink, but it\u00A0is\u00A0a crime for a rapist to target someone who is no longer capable of consenting to sex through drink.&amp;quot;\u00A0  The new guidelines represent a huge, positive step towards better treatment of rape victims.\u00A0Although more women than ever are reporting sexual assault, leading to a 30% rise in complaints,\u00A0it&amp;#039;s still\u00A0thought that around\u00A075% of victims fail to come forward, partly due to\u00A0the rape myths widely\u00A0believed\u00A0by\u00A0police, juries\u00A0and prosecutors alike. Although the thought of a man faking a positive relationship with a woman he has raped is unimaginably creepy, these new guidelines are a positive\u00A0new step. We wait with bated breath to see if they make a real - and much-needed -\u00A0difference to victims&amp;#039; lives. NEW RULES TO HELP RAPE VICTIMS INTRODUCED "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/reports/news/a33048/social-media-helping-rapists-cover-their-tracks/>