The same proportion think most women who’ve fallen victim to the crime are afraid to speak publicly.
A further 65% think the law makes it harder for them to do so.
Published on Friday (6 November), the figures come from a survey of 2,008 UK adults, conducted by Deltapoll and commissioned by campaign group Good Law Project.
Three-quarters of those surveyed said survivors speaking publicly about their experiences had a positive impact on the safety of women and girls.
But more than seven in 10 said they could not afford a lawyer to defend themselves if they faced legal action.
Women who publicly accuse men of sexual violence can face defamation proceedings, which can come with a hefty price tag.
Matthew Gill, a specialist defamation lawyer at Good Law Project, described the findings as a ‘dangerous failure at the heart of UK law that has been weaponised by the rich and powerful’.
‘When you look around the world, the UK sticks out like a sore thumb,’ Gill said. ‘Our outdated defamation laws stack the deck against the brave women who speak out about sexual violence.
‘The law allows abusers to use their wealth and power to make it impossible for women to talk about their experiences, continuing the abuse. It’s way past time for the justice secretary to bring forward anti-SLAPP laws that are fit for the 21st century.’
SLAPPs, or Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation, are legal proceedings brought to intimidate or silence people speaking out on issues of public interest.
The findings come alongside research published last year by the Gemini Project, based on 68 women who faced legal action after surviving domestic or sexual abuse.
Seven in 10 women said legal action had been brought by a current or former partner and over a quarter said the proceedings were intended to silence them.
Meanwhile, 22.4% said they’d been targeted to protect someone’s reputation and 15.4% said the cases stemmed from disputes about the allegations.
Lucy Nevitt, of the Gemini Project, said: ‘If this government is serious about tackling violence against women and girls, it must recognise that protecting those who speak out is an essential part of that commitment.
‘We need comprehensive anti-SLAPP legislation to address the gap in legal protections and safeguard survivors of sexual and gender-based violence from legal abuse.’
Image: Nadine E/UnSplash
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