This item has been extracted from an article in the Daily Mail printed on the 13th July 2011 A teacher falsely accused of assaulting a disruptive pupil won his battle to clear his name yesterday. Despite 33 years of unblemished service, Ronnie Lane was sacked after the 15-year-old claimed the arts teacher had seized his arm and left him with scratch marks. School chiefs rejected Mr Lane’s defence that he simply touched the boy’s arm while asking him to let go of a classmate’s painting. Yesterday an employment tribunal backed Mr Lane’s version of events, ruling he had been unfairly dismissed two years ago. The 56-year-old produced evidence from a senior retired police officer indicating the boy’s injuries had been self inflicted. His victory follows the publication of shock figures that show one in four school staff has been the subject of false allegations by pupils. Mr Lane was teaching art to a class of 20 GCSE students at West Derby School in … [Read more...]
Guidance Perverting the Course of Justice – Charging in cases involving rape and/or domestic violence allegations
The Crown Prosecution Service have issued guidance (reproduced below) in cases where a person who says they were sexually assaulted or subjected to domestic violence retracts their statement. Guidance Perverting the Course of Justice - Charging in cases involving rape and/or domestic violence allegations Published: 7 July 2011 Contents Introduction Perverting the course of justice The decision-making process Observations on the evidential stage of the Full Code Test The evidential stage in relation to "double retractions" The public interest stage Youths The public interest stage in relation to "double retractions" Referral to CPS Headquarters Introduction 1. This guidance applies to cases where a complainant of rape or domestic violence: makes a false allegation, retracts an allegation, or withdraws a retraction. For the purposes of this guidance any reference to rape should be read to include other sexual offences. 2. It should be … [Read more...]
Eight former South Wales police officers accused of fabricating Lynette White murder case
This item has been taken from the Guardian Website (here) on the 6th July 2011 Eight former police officers fabricated a case against three men wrongly convicted of the brutal murder of a woman working as a prostitute, a jury was told on Wednesday. The officers "acted corruptly together" to manufacture the case against the men they suspected killing of Lynette White in Cardiff in 1988. Nicholas Dean QC, prosecuting, said the case was "almost entirely a fabrication" and the accusations were "largely the product of the imagination and then the theories and beliefs of police officers". The case is believed to be the biggest trial of police officers in British legal history and could last six months. The most senior officer in the dock was a superintendent when he retired and two others were chief inspectors. At the start of the prosecution's opening, the jury was taken back to February 1988 when White's body was found at an "unfurnished and squalid" flat above a … [Read more...]
Dance teacher charged with falsely accusing Louis Walsh of assault
The following has been extracted from the Irish Times website here. A dance teacher has been charged with making a false accusation that he was groped by X-Factor judge Louis Walsh in the toilets of a Dublin nightclub. Leonard Watters (24), a father of two from Navan, Co Meath, of no fixed address, was arrested in his home town on Tuesday, after allegedly making an unfounded claim to the Garda that Mr Walsh had assaulted him in the Krystle nightclub, after a Westlife concert in the O2 in April. He was brought before Dublin District Court yesterday afternoon and charged under section 12 of the Criminal Law Act 1976 for making a false report to gardaí on June 20th last at Harcourt Terrace Garda station in Dublin. Mr Watters was not required to speak during the brief hearing. Det Insp Michael Cryan told Judge William Early that Mr Watters was charged at Pearse Street Garda station in Dublin at 11.31am. In response to caution, the defendant said “no reply”. “He was … [Read more...]
Man falsely accused friend of having sex with under age girl
This item has been extracted from the STV website here A man who falsely accused his friend of having sex with an under age girl has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service. David McGhee called 999 on two occasions to claim that his friend was in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Officers from Strathclyde Police and the force's family protection unit spent hours investigating the accusations, which turned out to be false. McGhee, 24, was later arrested and told police that he had "just made it up" and did not know why. At an earlier hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court, McGhee, of Knightswood, admitted making false accusations and wasting police time at an address in Drumchapel on January 26. Sheriff Alayne Swanson told McGhee on Tuesday: "I think you now realise what an inappropriate thing this was to do and it wasted a considerable amount of police time in terms of the investigation they undertook." Prosecutor John … [Read more...]
Bolton girl sentenced for making false allegation
This item has been extracted from the Bolton News here A teenager who falsely accused a taxi driver of raping her broke down in tears as she was jailed for 12 months. Bolton Magistrates’ Court heard 133 hours of police time were wasted investigating the alleged crime. The 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, confessed she made it up three days later. But by that time 35-year-old taxi driver Shahnawaz Khan, who has never been in trouble with the police, had been arrested in front of his colleagues, had intimate samples taken and was kept in police custody for 12 hours. Married father-of-four Mr Khan picked up the girl from the S and D taxi rank in Farnworth. He took her to her home and when she admitted having no cash he agreed to keep her ring at the taxi base until it was paid. She then told her mother she had been raped and the police were called. Radha Vaithianathar, prosecuting, said: “She was distressed and told an officer ‘I … [Read more...]
Metropolitan Police confirm that a sexual assault case against MP has been dropped
It has been widely reported in the press that the Metropoilitan Police have confirmed a sexual assault case against Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has been dropped. Backbench MP Mr Bridgen, 46, was arrested in central London in the early hours of 9 June after a 29-year-old woman made a complaint to police. The North West Leicestershire MP was questioned by officers but not charged and released on bail until mid-July. A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed no further action would be taken against Mr Bridgen. 'Ludicrous' allegation In a statement, the former Royal Marine, who became an MP at last year's election, said he welcomed the news that the case was being dropped. "From the outset, I said that the allegation was without foundation, demonstrably and provably false and I was wholly confident that the outcome of the police investigation would see me exonerated. "Naturally, I remain hurt and angry that such a ludicrous, false and unsubstantiated … [Read more...]
Author Nik Greene wins literary award after being falsely accused of being a paedophile
This article first appeared on Your Thanet here Author Nik Greene wins literary award after being falsely accused of being a paedophile When Nik Greene’s adopted daughter falsely accused him of sexually assaulting her, he was instantly labelled a paedophile and sent to a dangerous French prison. While there he was beaten, raped and even left to hang by fellow inmates who refused to believe he was innocent, as his solicitor and loving wife Trudy worked tirelessly to help him clear his name. But Mr Greene, who moved to the Limousin area of France from St Margaret’s, near Dover, in 2004, lived to tell the tale. And now he has won a top award for a book he wrote about the three-year ordeal. Entitled False Accusations: Guilty Until Proven Innocent, the memoir reveals how the author eventually overcame what he describes as an "archaic, biased" French legal system to win his life back. "Writing the book started off as a cathartic way for me to cope with what … [Read more...]
Baby P social worker compensated for false claims made by Sun newspaper
This article first appeared in the Guardian on the 9th June 2011 The Sun has agreed to pay undisclosed compensation and apologised unreservedly to a social worker over the publication of false allegations about her role in the Baby P tragedy. In a statement read out in the high court in London on Thursday, the paper's publisher, News International subsidiary News Group Newspapers, also agreed to publish an apology in print and online. Sylvia Henry, a social worker in the London borough of Haringey for 23 years, was accused in articles published in the Sun of being "grossly negligent" in her handling of Peter Connelly's case and that she was "thereby to blame for his appalling abuse and death", the high court heard. Henry's solicitor, Daniel Taylor, told Mr Justice Eady the newspaper also said she had shown no remorse for these failings and was "shameless and had ducked responsibility for Peter's death". In a series of articles published over four months from … [Read more...]
More than 10% of Americans report they have been falsely accused of abuse
This item first appeared on the PRNewswire website on the 7th June 2011 A national survey of 10,000 Americans reveals 11% report they have been falsely accused of abuse. The first-ever survey of its type probed persons' first-hand experiences with false allegations of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. The study was commissioned by Stop Abusive and Violent Environments, a victim advocacy organization. The survey results headlined a False Allegations Summit, which was held today at the Fairfax Hotel in Washington, DC. Conducted May 2-4, 2011, the survey also found 15% of respondents personally knew someone who has been falsely accused of abuse. In 81% of the cases the falsely accused person was a male, and in 70% of cases the false alleger was a female. Twenty-six percent of the wrongful accusations were made in the context of a child custody dispute. "This survey shows tens of millions of Americans have been falsely accused of abuse," explains SAVE … [Read more...]
Book Review: Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong by Brandon L. Garrett [USA]
Judge Learned Hand called “the ghost of the innocent man convicted” an “unreal dream.” But in “Convicting the Innocent,” Brandon L. Garrett shows that it can be a “nightmarish reality.” Since the late 1980s, DNA testing has exonerated more than 250 wrongly convicted people, who spent an average of 13 years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. (There is every reason to think that more people have been wrongly convicted since then, but only these 250 have been definitively exonerated by postconviction DNA tests.) Seventeen of the 250 were sentenced to die, and 80 to spend the rest of their lives in prison. By poring over trial transcripts and interviewing lawyers, prosecutors and court reporters, Garrett, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, seeks to explore who these 250 innocent people are, and why they were wrongly convicted. His alarming conclusion: the wrongful convictions were not idiosyncratic but … [Read more...]
Hillingdon woman ‘falsely called man a paedophile’
This news excerpt appeared on the BBC website (here) Hillingdon woman 'falsely called man a paedophile' A woman from west London who falsely branded a neighbour a paedophile in an "unseemly outburst" must pay £1,500 in compensation for slander. Patricia O'Connor of Hillingdon turned on retired landscape gardener Michael Clynes in a row lasting a few seconds in October 2009, the High Court heard. They fell out over a CCTV camera which Mr Clynes positioned outside his home. Mr Clynes spent his life savings on defending himself as he was so incensed by the outburst, the court was told. He was accused by Mrs O'Connor of installing the recording system so he could watch children playing. She "hurled at him, groundlessly, what seem to have been the most insulting epithets that came into her head - 'wife-beater', 'drug dealer' and either 'paedophile' or 'perv'," said Mr Justice Eady. 'Sincere' regrets The judge was tasked with setting a level of compensation for what … [Read more...]
Union says false claims are ruing the lives of teachers
This news item has been extracted from Belfast Today A teacher from Northern Ireland, falsely accused of throwing a pupil from a chair, had her own children interviewed as part of an investigation, it’s been claimed. The case was highlighted ahead of today’s Ulster Teachers’ Union [UTU] conference in Co Down, which will hear calls for greater protection of staff against a growing culture of false allegations in schools across the province. According to the union, just one out of every 20 complaints made against teachers - including sexual abuse and assault - result in a prosecution. But under current child protection legislation, the allegations - though proven to be untrue - remain on the teacher’s criminal record which can be viewed as part of a future teaching job application process. Avril Hall Callaghan, general secretary of the UTU, said the accusations were having a devastating impact on the lives of her members. She said the union received … [Read more...]
Heads given powers to prosecute lying pupils
The Education Secretary has announced a raft of measures to improve school discipline. These include giving Heads the right to temporarily or permanently exclude pupils who make false allegations, and the ability to press criminal charges. See Press Reports Heads given powers to prosecute lying pupils Button up: pupils should be forced to wear uniform properly Gove gives heads power to charge pupils Gove wants heads to have new powers Education Secretary Michael Gove lays out new rules to empower teachers … [Read more...]
Prostitute was sentenced to more than two years in jail after falsely accusing a man of raping her at knifepoint.
This story was first published on the Liverpool Echo website here A prostitute was sentenced to more than two years in jail after falsely accusing a man of raping her at knifepoint. Shinaed Kelly, 20, was only on her second night as a sex worker when she accused the innocent man of attacking her in Liverpool city centre. Martin Decker, prosecuting, said on September 24 last year, Kelly approached a policeman while she was working in Devon Street to complain of a man “acting weird”. The officer spoke to a man and moved him on. Mr Decker said: “Later that evening, she said she was raped by the same male who was harassing her earlier. “He produced an 8in kitchen knife and held it to her throat.” Kelly told police the man then raped her. Police arrested a man and held him for 19 hours but after checking CCTV where the rape was supposed to have happened realised the story didn’t add up. Six days later Kelly, of Green Lane, … [Read more...]
Falsely accused man still waiting for a apology from police eight years on
This item was first reported on the BBC website here A man falsely accused of downloading child sex abuse images is still waiting for an apology from police eight years after lodging a complaint, an MP says. The unidentified man from Stoke-on-Trent was arrested as part of a worldwide police operation. His details came from a web pornography sale firm, but the man had reported his card stolen three years earlier. Staffordshire Police said it was looking into the comments made by Stoke-on-Trent South MP Rob Flello. The Labour MP told the House of Commons during a debate that the police sting, called Operation Ore, "wasn't handled well", with children wrongly taken into care and people falsely accused of being paedophiles going on to commit suicide. 'Dreadful case' MPs were told how the home belonging to the innocent man's parents was raided by eight officers from Staffordshire Police in 2002. His computer was taken but it had not been used to view child abuse … [Read more...]
New Book: False Accusations by Nic Greene
Our attention has been drawn to a new book which details the experience of Nik Greene an Englishman who was falsely accused in France of abusing his adopted daughter. The book has received excellent reviews on Amazon and elsewhere and has a strong following on Facebook Nik Greene spent most of his early life on a farm in the English county of Norfolk but eventually moved to the East end of London to 'seek his fortune' after finishing a 4 year apprenticeship as a Carpenter and Joiner Having spent these early years running his own business and working on many projects including the rebuilding of Hampton Court and Windsor Castle after its fires he now lives between Kent and the Limousin area of France "Coming to France has given a slower pace of life yes but I also need to keep busy so it gives me time to realise my dream of putting those books in my head on paper" he says Never being the sort of person to sit still and while still living in the UK full time, he … [Read more...]
Daughter jailed for falsely accusing father of rape
A woman with a history of making false allegations of sexual abuse, who told police that her father had raped her, has been jailed. The lying accusation nearly ruined the business career of father Phillip Marrill, Guildford Crown Court heard on Monday (February 28). His daughter Emma, 21, from Camberley, persisted with the false allegations claiming that her father had sexually abused her from the age of 15. It was only after six months that Emma confessed she had fabricated the allegation. Judge Neil Stewart told her: "You have done this both previously and subsequently." Miss Marrill, of Horshoe Crescent, Camberley, was jailed for 12 months after admitting doing an act intended to pervert the course of justice. The judge said the sentence would have been longer but for her early plea of guilty. (more: Get Surrey website) … [Read more...]
A schoolgirl who was found guilty of falsely accusing a 14-year-old boy of rape narrowly avoids a custodial sentence.
This news report by Steven Morris has been extracted from the Guardian website A schoolgirl who was found guilty of falsely accusing a 14-year-old boy of rape when she was 15 was told by a judge she had only narrowly avoided a custodial sentence. District judge Joti Bopa Rai said the girl would have been sent to prison if she had been an adult, for years rather than months. The girl, who lives in Gloucestershire, was today given a two-year youth rehabilitation order, with requirements to attend a victim awareness programme, a relationships programme and a programme to help increase her self-esteem. Her mother was ordered to pay £250 compensation to the boy, a low amount because the family lives on benefits. The judge also ordered that the family pay £250 towards the cost of the trial. The girl was told that she would receive a custodial sentence if she did not respect the … [Read more...]
A man who falsely claimed a traffic warden racially abused him jailed
A man who falsely claimed a traffic warden racially abused and attacked him to avoid paying for a parking ticket has been jailed for 12 months. Ben Hlal, 45, was found guilty in January of two counts of perverting the course of justice after the incident in Fareham, Hampshire, in 2009. He was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court earlier. His estranged wife, Diane Bateman, received a six-month suspended sentence for the same charge. (more) … [Read more...]
Norfolk teacher cleared
This report by Christine Cunningham appeared on EDP on the 5th February 2011 A dedicated retired art teacher was last night hoping to rebuild his life after being cleared of sexually assaulting a pupil at a Norfolk school. Christopher Harvey, 63, a former teacher at Northgate High School, Dereham, was yesterday cleared by a Norwich Crown Court jury of indecent assault at the school during a one-to-one teaching session he had with the girl between September 1997 and July 2001. The case brings into focus the continuing debate about teachers’ careers being blighted by com-plaints that are later found to be false. Andrew McCandlish, Norfolk secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: “We view this very seriously. It’s causing people a lot of unnecessary aggravation. Even when allegations don’t stick, people are becoming ill.” The government is planning to change the rules to introduce anonymity until a charge is brought. The … [Read more...]
Pupils convinced teachers are pedophiles
Our attention has been drawn to a historic face book site which requests readers to report "that one teacher in your school you're convniced is a pedophile". Although the site is closed it does contain reports of several men who the informants say are pedophiles A FACT spokesman said " We do not know however if those named are guilty of what is alleged or whether this is just another example of irresponsible use of social media and have asked facebook to examine whether or not the site meets its own operating requirements. All cases of alleged pedophilia should be reported to the proper authorities so that the allegations can be fully investigated". It is believed that the site is originated in the USA, and refers to an American context. … [Read more...]
Police chiefs could be forced to clear the DNA database of samples provided by innocent people
The following article by Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 31st January 2011 The Coalition Government has pledged to dramatically reduce the time period that police can retain samples of people who were not charged or convicted of offences. It follows a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in 2008 that a blanket policy of retaining such profiles indefinitely was illegal. However, no new laws have yet been introduced and the Supreme Court will today hear a test case that such samples should be deleted now. If the country's top court agrees it could result in police forces having to remove the samples immediately regardless of when new legislation is introduced. Up to one million samples on the national database believed to belong to individuals who were never charged or convicted with an offence. A report last year suggested at least one in four DNA profiles being … [Read more...]
A father of three says he has lost two decades of his life after being falsely accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl
A father of three says he has lost two decades of his life after being falsely accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. Ian Henderson served 16 months in jail alongside sex offenders at Wandsworth prison after being convicted of indecent assault in 1990. The former coach driver, 47, is in line for substantial compensation after his alleged victim, Carrie Crownshaw, confessed to making up the accusations, 20 years after her evidence saw him jailed. Mr Henderson, from Stanmore, says his wrongful conviction is the main reason why he has not worked since 2002. In recent years, many jobs would have been closed to him because of the need for a Criminal Records Bureau check that allows access to children and vulnerable adults. He said: “Every time I try to start getting on my feet I get kicked off again because of what happened. The ghosts keep reappearing. All I have done for the last 20 years is survive. I haven't done the things I would have liked to do, such as … [Read more...]
Woman who falsely accused man of rape is jailed for 18 months
Investigation into fake rape charges wasted 200 hours of police time, jury hears A woman who falsely accused a man of rape and turned his life into the "stuff of nightmares" was jailed today for 18 months. Samantha Merry, 21, of Chelmsford, Essex, admitted perverting the course of justice during a hearing at Chelmsford crown court. Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC said Merry's "wickedness" had "discredited the administration of justice" and wasted police time. Prosecutors said Merry had made a 13-page statement, the rape inquiry occupied more than 200 hours of police time, and £3,700 of public money had been spent on forensic examinations alone. The judge was told that Merry's victim had been arrested after eight police officers woke him and his family in the middle of the night. He spent 23 hours in police custody and 16 weeks on bail. Source: Guardian. Read more … [Read more...]
