We were assaulted - do I need to get a solicitor?

GobbledyGook

VI8 wrote: »

So if the police have behaved incorrectly in such a serious case, then the IP should make an official complaint to the IPCC, but going on what is written in the story, the inconsistencies make it evident the IP is prevaricating on here.

It doesn't 'make it evident', it means you think that is what is happening.

Surely in your position currently in your 4th year studying criminal law what you should be saying is "IP, if this is exactly how your case proceeded then the police have behaved incorrectly. You should make an official complaint"?

If you don't know what the police should be doing then how do you know they are doing wrong? Surely with your knowledge you should be helping people who are in danger of being victimised twice. Then again, not everyone does as they should....

antrobus

boots_babe wrote: »

....I've never had anything like this happen before, nor had any dealings at all with the police. So it's only just occurred to me today, should we get a solicitor?...

To answer the question asked; no, you don't need a solicitor.

You would only need a solicitor if you decided to take out a civil action against your assailants, i.e. sue them for damages and/or compensation. Which is always an option.

tomtontom

SailorSam wrote: »

Tomton i often take what a Newie says with a pinch of salt, but in this case i can't see anything that suggests V18 isn't giving good advice.
As to whether the Police bring charges is out of the OPs hands, she only need sit back and let justice take it's course. The only thing she could do is see VS for advice, a claim for criminal injuries has very little to do whether the attacker is prosecuted. In many cases of claiming Criminal Injuries Compensation the attacker is never caught.

It is not the advice I (and others) are taking issue with, it is the way that they are suggesting boots_babe is lying or embellishing their story. Having acted as an appropriate adult I am well aware of how the police push restorative justice, and see no reason to doubt b_b's story.

GobbledyGook

VI8 wrote: »

I actually want to be a crown prosecution lawyer and picking holes in a statement is what I'm good at. I've picked out all the inconsistencies in the IP's story and it doesn't add up. There is lies in there and if you take a look at it, you will see the inconsistencies.

All I can see is someone completely blind to the fact that sometimes the legal system doesn't work as it should.



Good luck OP. I hope Victim Support are helpful.

stormCat99

If I was being inconsistent, I would have contradicted myself or said something that doesn't make sense.

I haven't done this. I have just said what has happened. I repeat again, why on earth would I lie? This is an anonymous forum so there is no need; if it wasn't anonymous I certainly wouldn't have felt happy posting this for everyone to see.

I've not exaggerated anything - I've actually said that I doubt any more injuries will come to light now, I'm not after sympathy just solid advice on the practicalities of what happens next / what I should be doing. I'm a normal honest person who has just never dealt with police before, and have no idea what should happen.

I feel I've had really good advice from people on here now for which I'm grateful. Please let's just leave it at that.

cazziebo

As gobbledygook says, what should happen and what does happen are often very different things...

I echo contacting Victim Support. Many of their paid and volunteer workers have been through similar experiences so understand the process (unlike legal students )

The OP has been through a horrible ordeal, I would be surprised if recall was 100%. I also know the police can behave in strange ways.

The answer to the original question is that no, you don't need a lawyer right now.

(DD2 was hit in the face by a random stranger. The police seemed very disinterested and I didn't think it would go further. They turned up at the door at 7am one Sunday morning, weeks later, wanting to ask further questions and the lad was arrested, charged and tried. She never had to go to court and we only knew what happened because we read it in the local paper)

tomtontom

VI8 wrote: »

Restorative justice is for minor cases which can be solved by way of compensation or an apology. As you appear to be such an expert on restorative justice, please tell me how aggravated GBH is a minor criminal offence?

That is the point being made by the OP - restorative justice is not appropriate here, but the police do still push it as an option in such cases. It is worrying that someone who claims to have studied criminal law for four years cannot comprehend that.

SailorSam

Perhaps Tomton the reason i don't think you're helping the Op is, i was reading a thread here on Mse a few days ago, i'm sure you'll remember it. When another poster who had followed your history on here accused you of showing all the signs of being a spammer. Joining the site and trying to increase your post count quickly by commenting on things that she thought you had little knowledge of.
I wonder was she right ? I don't think many here average almost 10 posts a day from new.

tomtontom

SailorSam wrote: »

Perhaps Tomton the reason i don't think you're helping the Op is, i was reading a thread here on Mse a few days ago, i'm sure you'll remember it. When another poster who had followed your history on here accused you of showing all the signs of being a spammer. Joining the site and trying to increase your post count quickly by commenting on things that she thought you had little knowledge of.
I wonder was she right ? I don't think many here average almost 10 posts a day from new.

In not sure but I think said poster has now been banned. Ten posts a day isn't a lot, is it? I can't see how showing support for the OP would make me a spammer, don't they increase their post count to advertise?

GobbledyGook

SailorSam wrote: »

Perhaps Tomton the reason i don't think you're helping the Op is, i was reading a thread here on Mse a few days ago, i'm sure you'll remember it. When another poster who had followed your history on here accused you of showing all the signs of being a spammer. Joining the site and trying to increase your post count quickly by commenting on things that she thought you had little knowledge of.
I wonder was she right ? I don't think many here average almost 10 posts a day from new.

You could pretty much say that about anyone surely?

Can't trust Tomtom because his post count is too high for a newbie.
Can't trust Gobbledygook because her arrival was in the midst of when her life became an absolute car crash.
Can't trust SailorSam because the posts of his I've seen were defending someone who only signed up to have a pop at someone who said they'd been assaulted?

You take ANY poster on this board and someone will be able to find something in their post history that could be twisted or made to look 'bad'.

When I was first on here and really struggling a couple of people thought I was a troll, understandably. One kind lady said 'I'd rather help a troll than leave a struggling person floundering' and I really, really appreciated her help because she made me realise that I was entitled to financial help which saved my neck at that specific time. I adopted her philosophy over the past few years and don't understand why more people either don't do that or just ignore a thread/poster they think is rubbish/trolling when it's not immediately obvious.