While significant progress has been made in recent years over the approach by the authorities to those who have suffered as a result of alleged sex offences, it is clear that many issues still need to be addressed.
There can only be deep concern over the points raised last week by the commissioner designate for victims of crime, Geraldine Hanna, in the course of a comprehensive interview with The Irish News.
She suggested that medical and other records of the alleged victims of sex crimes are being sought by defence teams in advance of trials when they arguably had little connection to the cases and covered dates which were not relevant to the prosecution.
Ms Hanna said the material included notes from counselling sessions, along with a range of information from support services, with in some instances alleged victims only being made aware of the documentation which had been handed over when facing questioning in court.
She also expressed alarm over delays in the legal system, particularly in relation to the prosecution of complex sexual crime cases, as well as a perceived failure to keep key witnesses fully informed of developments.
Ms Hanna agreed that information should be properly shared before trials if it either assists the position of the defence or undermines the prosecution but asserted that some the material in question was not what she defined as being of probative value.
The Bar of Northern Ireland, which represents lawyers, was entitled to stress the importance of disclosure, and to say that its members were committed to representing the best interests of all those involved in cases, including those who were victims of crime and those accused of committing offences.
However, there will still be a strong sense that our legal system could do much more to support those who courageously come forward to report crimes and are prepared to give evidence in the course of subsequent trials.
It should at least be possible to improve lines of communication, with Ms Hanna highlighting the particularly disturbing example of the alleged victim of a sex assault who heard nothing from the authorities for fully eight months before being finally told that there would be no prosecution.
There will be an obvious fear that, unless there is a more sympathetic attitude at an official level, victims will be less inclined to give evidence and the guilty will be able to walk free.
