MOSCOW, January 6 (Sputnik) — A member of the British Conservative Party, Mark Pritchard, has urged for a revision of the British law on anonymity in rape cases after police dropped an investigation into rape allegations made against him, the International Business Times reported on Tuesday.
"The law on anonymity does need to be reviewed and 'fairness' does need to play a far greater role in these cases," Pritchard told the media, while speaking outside the House of Commons, the lower house of the British Parliament.
The law on anonymity in rape cases, also known as the Sexual Offences Act in Britain, has remained practically unchanged since 1976, despite several attempts to extend anonymity to defendants. In particular, in 2010, the British government submitted a proposal to guarantee anonymity to people, accused of involvement in sexual offences.
On December 2, 2014, the British member of parliament was arrested on suspicion of rape after he voluntarily attended the Holborn Police Station in London, the United Kingdom. Later that day, he was released on bail, according to the International Business Times.
Pritchard's arrest was disclosed on December 3, 2014 after the minutes of the votes and proceedings of the UK House of Commons were made public on the official website of the British parliament.
On Tuesday, the British Metropolitan Police decided not to pursue the investigation further due to insufficient evidence, according to the International Business Times.
