National Register of False Accusers

[val lavender]

In 1999 Judge David Bryant said that there was a good case for the setting up of a register to log the names of women who falsely accuse men of raping them.

His comments followed the collapse of a case against a man accused of raping a 16year old girl after police discovered that she had made similar allegations against other people, which had been dismissed after a lenghty police investigation.

Speaking at Teesside Crown Court, the Judge said "it seems to me that this case shows a need for some sort of register which may be the obverse of a Sex Offenders Register"

He said that the defendant in the case had gone through an "extremely unpleasant case" and expressed concern that other people could suffer similarly.

To me, this seems a logical step to take, allowing police to allow the use of a psychiatrist to asses reports made by persons whose name is on the register

[maria]

i would definatley be for that it should be made law x

[diana_holbourn]

I think with this kind of thing it's sometimes difficult to say a definite yes or no unless the question's more complex, because there are likely to be qualifiers either way. As I said in another thread, I think it sounds like a good idea, but I think safeguards ought to be put into place so people whose rapists are acquitted because of questionable decisions by juries don't get put on it. If cases can be scrutinized by experts before the accusers go on it, then I'd be happier with the idea. I also think that people who admit their accusations were false before they get to court ought to go on it. Of course, it might mean that if genuine crimes are committed against them in the future, unless there is obvious evidence, the police might be slower to investigate them; but frankly, that's their look-out! If the register is well-publicized, they'll have the opportunity to contemplate that before they make false accusations!

[val lavender]

Hi Diana,

I agree that there need to be safeguards, and that not every case were the man is found not guilty would necessarily generate a new name for such a register.

On the other side of the coin, where a false allegation is made, that is obviously maliceous, and does not reach the court stage it would be appropriate to enter the accusers name on such a list.

There have been a number of such allegations recently that have been tucked away in the corners of police websites where they are not likely to be seen by many people.

It will be interesting to see what the results of the poll are and any other comments that are posted against it.

I am endevouring to contact Judge Bryant to submit to him the information that I have gleaned on this subject and if I get a reply I will let you know hat he said, and if he consents to its publication, where I have stuck it.

Regards

Val

[Saffron]

I support the idea of a register of false accusers in principle, but agree that it would need very careful policing.

The register would have to exist for those who either admit to making a false accusation, or those who are found guilty of perverting the course of justice in such a way. It would also need to be publicised on the same level as the Sex Offender's Register in order to act as a deterrent.

I don't think I am wrong when I say that the majority of individuals can see no reason why anyone would make a false accusation of rape. There is an automatic assumption that anyone who claims to have been raped must be telling the truth. I know that until this happened to my family, I would never have presumed to question any alleged victim's word. Now, however, my sympathy has been seriously eroded, and I am very sceptical about juries decisions as a whole.

[maria]

hi all the thing is what do you do when your told that you will be found guilty if the said person cry's of which you are then informed which ever way you go you have to take a plea bargain before it even goes to trial because you have a prison sentence hanging over you do you think these people should be put on the register because the admited to something they didn't do to avoid a sentence ?

[val lavender]

Hi Maria

pardon me for being thick but I cant seem to get my head around your last post, could you run it by me again slowly please as I have missed the point

Regards

Val

[maria]

hi val what i'm saying is i agree with the list but do people think that some who was made to take a plea bargain should have to go on a list as well

[val lavender]

Hi Maria

I think that anyone who has been found guilty of making a false allegation should go on such a register. If someone pleads guilty to making such allegations to avoid being charged or tried for other offences they should also be put on a register.

Regards

Val

[maria]

hi val you have misunderstood what i meant ... as in my son's case he was forced into taking a plea bargain and he was not guilty of any crime what so ever so do you think he should also go on the list is what i'm asking? maria x

[val lavender]

Hi Maria

the short answer is no, he should not. Regrettably, in view of his guilty plea it is almost inevitable that he will be unless you appeal the conviction. This is very difficult in the case of a guilty plea, though it is not impossible.

You are quite right that I had missed the point, sorry for being so dense.

Regards

Val

[maria]

hi val yes shane is appealing but like everything it takes time we are just waiting for this girl to accuse again she has done it 4 times up till now that we know off... if she does do it again we will find out i check the list at the court for maidstone everyday will keep you up dated x

[Towermouse]

Glad to hear he is appealing just hope you changed your legal team. If they didnt get it right first time they sure as hell wont try very hard to prove they didnt.
I would recommend everyone going for appeal (except in exceptional circumstances) to change legal team...common sense.

Good luck

[maria]

hi towermouse he needs to appeal as he is so angry that he had to take this plea bargain and be punish for something he didn't do no matter what the outcome he has to do this he has no trust in the legal system nor i i just hope that he gets this conviction squashed he has also offerd to do a lie detector test hopefully they will use this in his defence will keep you all updated x

[lilahfairy]

the idea of such a list terrifies me
would definitely make me think twice about reporting rape if it happened to me again.
that for reporting something if a police officer believed i was making it up *i* coiuld end up on such a register???
(and trust me some rapists are very cunning and plan ahead and make sure there is no physical evidence.... i couldnt not prove that such an allegation were true)
or that women or girls who feel unable to go through with the ordeal of a trial or who are being threatened might withdraw their allegation (when it was in fact true) and end up being put on a list of false accusers????
i sympathise with people who are falsely accused, i do
but this could quite easily end up with some poor victims not only suffering a rape but then being put on an offenders register.... that is just too much to happen to one person.

even if a woman tells the police she made it up, it may not be 100% of the time the truth. if she is threatened or cant face the trial, she may feel her only way out is to say that. you just cannot know.

im not denying that some woman make false accusations, but investigations by police both sides of the atlantic, the FBI and the Home Office show that only a small percentage of reports are found to be false.
of course alot of men accused of rape are going to deny it and say they were falsely accused. its a rare rapist who holds his hands up and says 'yep i did it'

people dont like to think that such crimes are as prevalent in our 'civilised' society as they actually are. it makes them feel safer.
personally after a childhood of abuse, i was then raped 3 times since adolescence (gang, partner, stranger)
and most people choose to disbelieve me. i mean, how can one person be so unlucky?
but it is possible
not probable. but possible
(hey, actually its possible that the glass you knocked over and shattered might put itself back together and jump back onto the table.... its just highly improbable. truly. look it up. quantum physics and entropy)

lilah