Leeds Historical Criminology Seminar
‘Historical Perspectives on Weinstein, #MeToo and Beyond: The Past, Present and Future of Sexual Offending’.
(Organised by David Churchill (Leeds), Heather Shore (Leeds Beckett), Henry Yeomans (Leeds))
There has been a flurry of revelations about sexual offending in recent years. From Jimmy Savile to Harvey Weinstein, from Operation Yewtree to #MeToo, a series of scandals have revealed the severity and extent of sexual offending in the recent past. The prosecution of some notable individuals, the frankness with which many people have begun to discuss their personal experiences of sexual offending and the seemingly enhanced confidence amongst some victims/survivors that they will be taken seriously by criminal justice agencies have prompted discussion about whether we have arrived at a turning point with regards to sexual offending. This event will harness historical perspectives in order to shed new light on sexual offending in the present and reflect upon whether ongoing developments give cause to be optimistic about the direction of social change.
Draft Programme
Registration, Coffee and Opening Remarks: 10.00 am – 10.15 am
10.15 am to 11.15 am: Professor Adrian Bingham (University of Sheffield)
‘The Crime That Shocked a Nation’? The British Press and Child Sexual Abuse, from Stead to Savile
Coffee Break: 11.15 am to 11.30 am
11.30 am to 12.30 am: Professor Sandra Walklate (University of Liverpool)
Living in La La Land: ‘Snowflakes’, Social Change and Responding to Sexual Assault
Lunch: 12.30 am to 1.30 pm
1.30 pm to 2.30 pm: Professor Kim Stevenson (University of Plymouth)
No End in Sight? The Unremitting Legal Challenge of Prosecuting Sex Crimes
2.30 pm – 3.30 pm: Roundtable:
Dr. Eloise Moss (University of Manchester); Jessica Wild (University of Leeds)
3.30 pm – Conference Closes
Register