The Human Cost Behind SVA Prosecutions

Female Crown Prosecutors and the Realities of Sexual Violence Work.

This summary of the research report: It’s a Love–Hate Relationship: Female Crown Prosecutors’ Experiences of Prosecuting Sexual Violence and Abuse Cases, was written with the assistance of AI. The article was checked for accuracy by the authors. 

The report It’s a Love–Hate Relationship: Female Crown Prosecutors’ Experiences of Prosecuting Sexual Violence and Abuse Cases was published as part of a research project by the Schools of Psychology and Law at Victoria University of Wellington, examining how female Crown prosecutors experience the unique demands of sexual violence and abuse (SVA) prosecutions. The purpose of the study is to understand the emotional labour, wellbeing pressures, and structural conditions shaping sexual violence trial  work, and to document these experiences in the prosecutors’ own words.

The researchers selected six in-depth interviews that focused on female Crown prosecutors with significant SVA experience from a wider corpus of 90 criminal law interviews.  Their report sets out a candid account of what the work gives, and what it takes away. It is a study grounded in lived experience rather than statistical analysis, designed to record themes that the participants repeatedly raised as central to their day-to-day reality.

The pull of the work

One of the strongest themes is the unusual mix of fulfillment and strain. Across interviews, prosecutors described SVA work as some of the most meaningful advocacy they undertake. They spoke about the gravity of the subject matter, the importance of giving complainants a fair process, and the sense of purpose that comes with work they believe matters deeply.

But this commitment exists alongside long-term exposure to trauma and the emotional cost of carrying complainants’ stories. Several participants described forming a “love–hate relationship” with the work: they feel anchored by its purpose, yet drained by its impact.

Emotional labour and its consequences

Across the findings, the report details the emotional labour expected of SVA prosecutors. Participants noted that in sexual violence cases, they meet with complainants and feel a responsibility to protect them from further trauma. Prosecutors spoke of the difficulty in maintaining professional boundaries whilst simultaneously showing care, compassion and support. 

The cases are “emotionally complex” and require prosecutors to manage their own emotions when exposed to complainants’ often distressing histories.  Many prosecutors described absorbing this material in a way that lingers after hours, making it difficult to disengage, which, as one prosecutor said, “on a personal level can be really tough”.

The report records consistent references to:

• ongoing emotional exhaustion;
• disrupted sleep;
• difficulty switching off;
• impact on relationships;
• cumulative fatigue from managing repeated trauma exposure.

Prosecutors reported developing personal coping strategies, but emphasised that these were individual solutions to wider organisational issues rather than complete answers.

Gendered expectations

A central theme in the findings is gendered allocation of emotional labour. Several women said they were given SVA files because women  were considered “able to have a better rapport with the complainants”, but this drift toward gendered specialisation was not always framed as a genuine choice, and it contributed, in some cases, to uneven caseloads.

The courtroom environment

The participants described the courtroom itself as a source of strain. Prosecutors sit through cross-examination that complainants often find distressing, while also managing their own reactions to graphic evidence and aggressive defence tactics. The report notes that they must maintain composure in circumstances they find personally confronting.

Some also described the isolating nature of the work. Because SVA files involve highly sensitive material, debriefing with  anyone outside of the role is strictly limited. Several spoke of the challenge of carrying the emotional weight of trials without consistent opportunities to offload it afterwards.

Structural pressures

Beyond personal experience, the report identifies wider organisational pressures: heavy file loads, limited preparation time, and a culture that prizes resilience. Participants described a sense that needing support could be interpreted as a professional weakness, discouraging them from seeking help.

Many saw the absence of rotation out of SVA work as a critical issue. High-volume, unbroken exposure to sexual violence cases was viewed as a major contributor to long-term wellbeing risks.

Why they stay

Despite the pressures, the prosecutors in the study remain committed. They described the work as intellectually demanding, professionally significant, and centred on giving complainants a voice in a difficult process. One participant summarised this tension by noting that the same cases that “are “uniquely unpleasant” also are some of the most rewarding due to the input into supporting complainant empowerment.

What they want to see change

From participants’ accounts and the authors’ analysis, the paper identifies practical implications for more sustainable practice. 

These include:

• structured opportunities to rotate out of SVA files;
• regular debriefing/clinical supervision;
• clearer prosecutor–complainant boundaries;
• organisational recognition of emotional labour;
• preventative rather than reactive wellbeing measures.

None of the recommendations involves reducing the quality of complainant care. Instead, the participants emphasise that sustainable practice depends on supporting prosecutors as well as victims.

Where to now

The study offers a clear-eyed look at the emotional and structural pressures inside sexual violence prosecution. Although the report focuses on Crown prosecutors, many of the themes—vicarious trauma, courtroom exposure to graphic material, the strain of managing distressed witnesses, and the culture of stoicism—will be familiar to defence counsel and prosecutors alike.

The research does not propose new doctrinal arguments or policy reforms. Instead, it documents the human side of repeated exposure to sexual violence and abuse cases and highlights the need for better systems of support. It is a reminder that the work is both vital and demanding, and that wellbeing in this area is not simply an individual responsibility but an institutional one.

View the full report here.

Te Miha, T., Dent, H. J., Tinsley, Y. M., & Tyler, N. (2025). ‘It’s a love–hate relationship’: female crown prosecutors’ experiences of prosecuting sexual violence and abuse cases. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 0(0), 1–24. Published online on 6 October 2025.

Affiliations: School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington | Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Victoria University of Wellington & Swinburne University | Faculty of Law, Victoria University of Wellington