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Wrongful Accusation, Libel, Threats, Advice Please
gravitytolls
Posts: 13,558 Forumite
A lady I know from school told me about the terrible time they've recently had.... bear with me, I'll try not not be too long winded.
17 year old son, but of a twerp, had a bit of bother for anti social behaviour at 16, got in bother with his mum too!
Anyhoo, gts himself a job, kitchen porter, working 10am till midnight days a week, earning well, working hard. One night after work, there was a party. He had a few bevvies, as did everyone else and he got it on with one of the girls who worked alongside him, same age.
Few hours kip at the party address, straight to work the following day. A while after arriving home after work, two burly officers arrive. Middle of the night arrest, he admits they had sex, but she claims non consensual.
Very distressing interview, swabs taken etc.
The girl had previously made a similar allegation which was false.
Four months of investigation proved that he did nothing, there were plenty of witnesses who saw them snogging, saw them go to a private room together, she retracted her statement, admitting that she led as she'd been kicked out of the family home 2 days prior to the allegation and thought her mum would have her back if she thought she'd been hurt. This succeeded initially.
During those four months the girls mother and family threatened to burn down the home of the boys famly, threatened to rape his sister and burn her house down with her three children inside, posted on his employers facebook page comments such as 'do your customers know you employ rapists?', wrote on his oldest brothers facebook things such as 'you're a peadophile'.
The brother's marriage was struggling, had been for over a year, and when he moved out during this period, folk were asking his wife if the reason they separated was because he was....? The lad lost his job and has been unable to find another despite applying for lots ~ though this may be unrelated, but he obviously feels it's because folk know him.
The police of course told the other family to stop with the abuse, told the boys family just to ignore it.
Well now all charges have been dropped, his record has been cleared, with the allegation not even been recorded.
But I do feel this isn't fair. Had he been convicted, she'd'v e gotten compensation from criminal injuries. He may not deserve recompense as such, but he has lost his job, mud sticks, his family were threatened and libelled.
Is there anything they can do to reverse this situation, other than learn the lessons of drunken impulse and stupidity?
17 year old son, but of a twerp, had a bit of bother for anti social behaviour at 16, got in bother with his mum too!
Anyhoo, gts himself a job, kitchen porter, working 10am till midnight days a week, earning well, working hard. One night after work, there was a party. He had a few bevvies, as did everyone else and he got it on with one of the girls who worked alongside him, same age.
Few hours kip at the party address, straight to work the following day. A while after arriving home after work, two burly officers arrive. Middle of the night arrest, he admits they had sex, but she claims non consensual.
Very distressing interview, swabs taken etc.
The girl had previously made a similar allegation which was false.
Four months of investigation proved that he did nothing, there were plenty of witnesses who saw them snogging, saw them go to a private room together, she retracted her statement, admitting that she led as she'd been kicked out of the family home 2 days prior to the allegation and thought her mum would have her back if she thought she'd been hurt. This succeeded initially.
During those four months the girls mother and family threatened to burn down the home of the boys famly, threatened to rape his sister and burn her house down with her three children inside, posted on his employers facebook page comments such as 'do your customers know you employ rapists?', wrote on his oldest brothers facebook things such as 'you're a peadophile'.
The brother's marriage was struggling, had been for over a year, and when he moved out during this period, folk were asking his wife if the reason they separated was because he was....? The lad lost his job and has been unable to find another despite applying for lots ~ though this may be unrelated, but he obviously feels it's because folk know him.
The police of course told the other family to stop with the abuse, told the boys family just to ignore it.
Well now all charges have been dropped, his record has been cleared, with the allegation not even been recorded.
But I do feel this isn't fair. Had he been convicted, she'd'v e gotten compensation from criminal injuries. He may not deserve recompense as such, but he has lost his job, mud sticks, his family were threatened and libelled.
Is there anything they can do to reverse this situation, other than learn the lessons of drunken impulse and stupidity?
I ave a dodgy H, so sometimes I will sound dead common, on occasion dead stupid and rarely, pig ignorant. Sometimes I may be these things, but I will always blame it on my dodgy H.
Sorry, I'm a bit of a grumble weed today, no offence intended ... well it might be, but I'll be sorry.
Sorry, I'm a bit of a grumble weed today, no offence intended ... well it might be, but I'll be sorry.
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Comments
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I can't help with what he can do, but bloody hell what a nasty piece of work she is. Sounds like he's definitely learnt a harsh lesson that a bit of tail isn't worth the possible consequences. Hope someone has some sound advice and he can rewind time.0
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What has the family done to sort all this out? Did they report all threats to the police?
Also why did the guy get the sack from work? I would see a solicitor about that.It's better to regret something I did do than to regret something that I didn’t. :EasterBun0 -
Has he tried to get his old job back, as he has been cleared of all wrongdoing?0
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What has the family done to sort all this out? Did they report all threats to the police?
Also why did the guy get the sack from work? I would see a solicitor about that.
It's grossly unfair
but
he probably hadn't worked there long enough to do anything about it.
Although, of course, he could ask0 -
My only suggestion would be for the lad in question to move away, sadly mud sticks with the brain dead zombie types.0
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Well, the girl has committed a serious criminal offence: the lad's family might wish to talk to the police about charging her. Some of the actions of her family are also crimes: the family have already informed the police but now could seek to press charges.
Libel and slander are civil matters, and only people with lots of money to pay lawyers can afford to do anything about them. So the law does not give any protection to the reputations of most of us.
In terms of positive things: what needs to happen is for everyone in the community to know that the charges were baseless and have been dropped. Could the family organise some kind of news-worthy event: something that the local paper might cover?0 -
Do you know if she made a written witness statement? If she did, they have a load of text on the front talking about how she can be prosecuted if she willingly tells falsities IIRC. Get 'er done for perjury if so! (Like it's that easy
) 0 -
Do you know if she made a written witness statement? If she did, they have a load of text on the front talking about how she can be prosecuted if she willingly tells falsities IIRC. Get 'er done for perjury if so! (Like it's that easy)
It is that easy, but the police need to refer the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service, who need to decide whether a prosecution is in the public interest.0 -
Well that's true, but in my line of work we have a nickname for the CPS, the Can't Prosecute Service!
Worth a go though. If you have the name/collar number of the officer who was in the case, give them a tinkle and explain the situation, ask whether you can pursue her for perjury if she signed a statement of truth.
Edit: just re-read you said she'd done this before, was anything pursued against her then?0 -
I highly doubt the CPS will prosecute. A fair few years ago something similar happened to someone I know very well. He was walking his dog and the woman walked by drunk and stopped to pet the dog (this was on a military base). Fast forward and the military police put out a leaflet stating a woman had been sexually assaulted and they were looking to speak to *description of man and dog*.
The man went to the military police said it was him walking the dog, he got arrested and taken to the local police station and they took over from there. The investigation went on for 2 months, and the upshot of it was the woman had hit and scratched herself the day after the alleged event, and had a history of doing this. She had basically wanted her husband home from deployment.
All this put a young family through absolute turmoil and mental torture, when the charges were dropped they asked about the woman been charged only to be told the CPS didn't deem it to be in the public interest because if it got in the news it might put genuine victims off coming forward.0
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