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I know a False Accusation of rape is different, but in the last few days I've seen for myself just how it happens.
Last year I witnessed a guy shoplifting on a grand scale. It was absolutely blatant, to the point he was clearing items off the shelves into a holdall. Anyway, I alerted the shop staff, who informed the police, and although I didn't get much of a view of the person's face I could describe his clothing well - distinctive black cap with white parts, black coat and a distinctive black bag. Back in January plod rang me to say they'd arrested the perpetrator.
Although I didn't see enough of his face to give a description of, I could tell he was unshaven and what hair sticking out from under his cap was not blond or red. So when I was instructed to attend court, I hoped there would be other/more evidence to back up mine. Imagine my shock at fnding out (at court) that my evidence was the only evidence there was. On top of that, they only had a photograph of the "suspect," and the only thing he had in common with my description was his gender. The black hat was white, the black coat was now blue, the black bag had turned into a white one without the distinctive markings I'd seen. Wrong person, wrong hat, wrong clothes, wrong bag.
It could have been an innocent mistake by the police (even though it's of the Huge, Glaring variety), but I'm beginning to wonder if it's similar to my treatment by ****ty Police who made it clear that they were "going to have me for anything." Was this another poor sap who's fallen foul of this separate Police force, and they've almost tried to make the evidence fit around him. Lucky I and the Prosecutor managed to speak before the case progressed, but it could have been so easily cleared up in advance if the police had come to me with their photo six weeks ago and asked me if that was the perpetrator.
I'm not exactly a happy bunny when I think that my evidence has been totally misrepresented and an innocent person has had a False Accusation hanging over him for the last six weeks. This can happen far to easily, in my opinion.
LS
Last year I witnessed a guy shoplifting on a grand scale. It was absolutely blatant, to the point he was clearing items off the shelves into a holdall. Anyway, I alerted the shop staff, who informed the police, and although I didn't get much of a view of the person's face I could describe his clothing well - distinctive black cap with white parts, black coat and a distinctive black bag. Back in January plod rang me to say they'd arrested the perpetrator.
Although I didn't see enough of his face to give a description of, I could tell he was unshaven and what hair sticking out from under his cap was not blond or red. So when I was instructed to attend court, I hoped there would be other/more evidence to back up mine. Imagine my shock at fnding out (at court) that my evidence was the only evidence there was. On top of that, they only had a photograph of the "suspect," and the only thing he had in common with my description was his gender. The black hat was white, the black coat was now blue, the black bag had turned into a white one without the distinctive markings I'd seen. Wrong person, wrong hat, wrong clothes, wrong bag.
It could have been an innocent mistake by the police (even though it's of the Huge, Glaring variety), but I'm beginning to wonder if it's similar to my treatment by ****ty Police who made it clear that they were "going to have me for anything." Was this another poor sap who's fallen foul of this separate Police force, and they've almost tried to make the evidence fit around him. Lucky I and the Prosecutor managed to speak before the case progressed, but it could have been so easily cleared up in advance if the police had come to me with their photo six weeks ago and asked me if that was the perpetrator.
I'm not exactly a happy bunny when I think that my evidence has been totally misrepresented and an innocent person has had a False Accusation hanging over him for the last six weeks. This can happen far to easily, in my opinion.
LS
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