Utah Supreme Court rules victims should be able to defend privacy rights

The release of sealed counseling records of a sexual abuse victim by the Utah Court of Appeals exposed a loophole in the state’s rules of evidence, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. In 2019, a state resident had accused a family friend of sexually abusing her as a child and the perpetrator was convicted of a second-degree felony. However, in his conviction appeal, the Court of Appeals released her sealed counseling records to the perpetrator’s attorney. The Utah Supreme Court then ruled the lower court erred by not allowing the victim to join the case to protect her privacy.