[Forgethim]

How secure is our posts if I am planning to have legal action?
Could our posts be counted as evidence?

[~Tara~]

Your posts are not searchable on google if you are using a thread that isnt public - such as pursuing legal action. So there is no chance of someone getting a hold of them too easily.

To keep things extra secure we ask that the real full names of both victim and rapist are not used. If you are worried about being identified to your posts there are a few measures you can take. Making sure your email address isn't available via your profile, not posting a face picture as your avatar or your profile picture and keeping your posts themselves vague of place names etc.

As for whether the posts can be called as evidence..I'm not sure. But one of the mods should know more about what our privacy and copyright covers :)/>

If you are still worried about the safety of yourself and your posts a site moderator would be more than happy to discuss this further with you :)/>

[Katy]

Hi Forgethim,

We do everything we can to keep the board as safe as possible, and our Terms of Service state the following:

Quote

I warrant that I am registering for and will use Pandora's Aquarium, Inc., for the sole purpose of participation in peer support in the recovery of sexual violence under the terms and conditions of this Agreement. I warrant that I am not registering for, and will not access, read, copy or otherwise reproduce, transmit or communicate any portion of Pandora's Aquarium, Inc. for other purposes, including, but not limited to: illegal or immoral activities; harassment of any individual; or gathering information for use in connection with criminal defense, including all stages of trial, depositions, settlement conferences, negotiations, investigations, informal meetings, or any other related activity, of any defendant, accused or alleged perpetrator of a sex crime.

That said, we have no way of verifying the identity of every member who joins this board, and if members have reasons to be concerned about their safety or about the confidentiality of their posts, we always encourage them to avoid revealing any personal information, and to not post anything that they would not want to be read by someone else.

For members who are in the process of a legal trial, we generally suggest that they do not post any specific information about the assault or the trial itself, as we would hate to see that information used against them. You might also want to talk to the prosecutor in your case to see what is and isn't appropriate to talk about. In general, talking about your feelings about the trial (you're scared to testify, you feel anxious, etc.) and asking for support is fine.

Katy x