The following article by Steve Bird appeatred in the Times on 20th December 2007
The latest rape allegation to attract intense publicity has raised again the question of whether accused men should be granted the same anonymity as their accuser, until convicted.
For years campaigners have said that men wrongly accused of such a crime never live down the slur on their characters. Meanwhile, some men have had to endure years in prison on remand only to be cleared after a trial. For celebrities and sports stars who live under the scrutiny of the media and their fans, being accused of rape can devastate their careers.
Under current law anyone claiming that they have been raped or sexually assaulted is guaranteed anonymity for life. It can be lifted only if they choose to waive the right or if a judge rules that they should be named because they have deliberately made a false allegation, which would usually result in a criminal charge such as perverting the course of justice.
While the Government has rejected calls to give anonymity to men who are accused of rape, it remains determined to try to boost the low rape conviction rate. With only 5 per cent of rape allegations resulting in a conviction, ministers are determined not to deter women from turning to the police after an attack.
However, a series of cases have illustrated how some women have hidden behind the anonymity laws to try to damage men for whom they hold a grudge. In September Diane Berriman, 31, was jailed for eight months after falsely claiming that she had been raped twice by a married man, and again by another man.
Police discovered she was a serial liar, but not before Paul Cook and Trevor Hirst both spent time in prison awaiting trial. After admitting perverting the course of justice and harassment, it was claimed that Berriman had made the false allegations because her own relationship had collapsed. Mr Cook, 54, said that he should have been given the same anonymity as his tormentor had been initially.
In 2001 Neil and Christine Hamilton were falsely accused of rape by Nadine Milroy-Sloan, a trainee lecturer. Milroy-Sloan was convicted of perverting the course of justice in 2003 and jailed for three years. In January this year the daughter of a church minister who made false allegations of rape against four men was jailed for two years. Abigail Gibson, 22, made the claims against a colleague, an ex-boyfriend, a stranger and her father.