{
  "id": 16722609,
  "title": "Scottish survivors start 'Courtrobe' to provide outfits and stylists for court",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/scottish-survivors-start-courtrobe-to-provide-outfits-and-stylists",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-27T07:15:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/after-testifying-in-sexual-assault-cases-scottish-survivors-sarah-lee-39-and-kayla-poulton-36-launched-courtrobe-a-campaign-seeking-donated-clothing-and-trained-stylists-for-women-appearing-in-court/articleshow/135225930.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two sexual assault survivors, Sarah Lee and Kayla Poulton, have established a new initiative called CourtRobe in Scotland. The campaign aims to provide free clothing and personal shopping assistance to women who need to give evidence in court, particularly those on low incomes. The pair are collaborating with the Emma Ritch Law Clinic at the University of Glasgow and are seeking donations of clothing and shopping vouchers from department stores throughout Scotland.\n\nIn order to assist women with their personal style choices, participating stores will offer free personal shopping appointments. Additionally, staff will undergo training to better comprehend the challenges faced by sexual assault survivors. Sarah and Kayla were inspired by their own experiences of giving evidence and the worries they had about their appearance during the court process. They wanted to alleviate some of the anxiety women face when entering the courtroom.\n\nSarah, who described her trial as one of the darkest periods of her life, recounted how numerous decisions about her appearance became a source of concern. She expressed worry about how her clothes might be perceived by the jury and feared that they might form opinions about her based on her attire rather than her testimony. Kayla shared similar concerns, but her main issue was choosing an appropriate dress without appearing too provocative or potentially wearing a see-through blouse.\n\nExperts from Rape Crisis Scotland have highlighted the influence that a witness's appearance can have on how their evidence is received in sexual assault trials. Research involving juries has shown that witnesses may be deemed less credible if their clothing is perceived as revealing or provocative. Sarah and Kayla emphasize that while CourtRobe cannot eliminate the stress of giving evidence, having suitable clothing and assistance with wardrobe selection could help alleviate some of the anxiety women encounter before entering the courtroom.",
  "summary": "Two sexual assault survivors in Scotland have launched CourtRobe, a campaign to help women feel more confident when giving evidence in court. Sarah Lee, 39, and Kayla Poulton, 36, are seeking clothing donations and shopping vouchers from department stores. The initiative, being developed with the University of Glasgow's Emma Ritch Law Clinic, also aims to provide free personal shopping sessions…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}