Tweet
It's been six months since my case was dropped and I just wondered how other people have coped and felt at this same stage. It's been a difficult six months. Although I realise I was lucky to get the outcome I wanted in terms of the case against me being dropped, it's still affected me in many different ways. Firstly, I've resigned from my job. I couldn't go back to work due to the humiliation and way my Employers undermined my reputation. Although my employers were supportive to some degree, they didn't handle the situation greatly which exacerbated my distress and affected my relationships with my colleagues. They were unwilling to do anything to address the situation and as I was working in a professional capacity, your reputation is critical.
I've spent the past six months trying to sort my emotional health out. I'm just finishing counselling which has helped a great deal and enabled me to make some difficult decisions about my future. I've decided I can never go back to working in social work or with the Police following this experience. I despise the way the system has dealt with me. I realise allegations have to be investigated and my employers had to put in safeguarding measures but the way this was done and the lack of sensitivity and judgmental remarks from people like my manager about me needing to be kept away from children due to being a risk has affected my confidence and self esteem. I cannot remain part of an occupation which has treated me in such a negative way. After all, it was only ever an allegation and there was never any truth in the allegation but the way they responded has caused me enormous emotional distress. I've decided to change career and applied to do a masters degree in nutrition and health. Having lost over three stone in weight, I want to help others lose weight and feel this is something positive I can give back to help others. A career in nutrition is also a world away from social work and safeguarding work and a less stressful field of work which will hopefully benefit me in the future.
I'm still in the process of awaiting outcome of my third complaint against the Police in terms of the way the handled the allegation against me, how long it took and the way they dealt with me. Although the allegation was recognised by the LADO for my employers as being malicious, the Police still refuse to acknowledge this fully even though my accuser is being investigated for fraud and perverting the course of justice. There is s chance it may still show on my enhanced DBS which makes me so angry when I know I have done absolutely nothing wrong and it makes it very difficult to completely draw a line under the whole experience when I may have to disclose it to a future employer.
I feel psychologically a different person as a result of what's happened and don't trust the Police in any sense and still worry that one day I'll wake up and the nightmare will still be going on. I have a very different view of the criminal justice system compared to before this experience happened and question a lot more things I hear about in the media particularly regarding sexual abuse allegations. It's clear the CPS and the Police only believe people who make these allegations and spend lots of time trying to gather evidence to support the allegations, even when it's clear there is no basis in many of the cases. As a victim of sexual abuse myself, I have questioned through this experience whether to make a complaint against the culprit but I will not be doing that as I have no confidence in the Police whatsoever and have been through a difficult enough time in the past two years and need to take care of myself.
I'm still finding it difficult to move on from the whole experience and feel it will continue to affect me for quite some time in the future.
I've spent the past six months trying to sort my emotional health out. I'm just finishing counselling which has helped a great deal and enabled me to make some difficult decisions about my future. I've decided I can never go back to working in social work or with the Police following this experience. I despise the way the system has dealt with me. I realise allegations have to be investigated and my employers had to put in safeguarding measures but the way this was done and the lack of sensitivity and judgmental remarks from people like my manager about me needing to be kept away from children due to being a risk has affected my confidence and self esteem. I cannot remain part of an occupation which has treated me in such a negative way. After all, it was only ever an allegation and there was never any truth in the allegation but the way they responded has caused me enormous emotional distress. I've decided to change career and applied to do a masters degree in nutrition and health. Having lost over three stone in weight, I want to help others lose weight and feel this is something positive I can give back to help others. A career in nutrition is also a world away from social work and safeguarding work and a less stressful field of work which will hopefully benefit me in the future.
I'm still in the process of awaiting outcome of my third complaint against the Police in terms of the way the handled the allegation against me, how long it took and the way they dealt with me. Although the allegation was recognised by the LADO for my employers as being malicious, the Police still refuse to acknowledge this fully even though my accuser is being investigated for fraud and perverting the course of justice. There is s chance it may still show on my enhanced DBS which makes me so angry when I know I have done absolutely nothing wrong and it makes it very difficult to completely draw a line under the whole experience when I may have to disclose it to a future employer.
I feel psychologically a different person as a result of what's happened and don't trust the Police in any sense and still worry that one day I'll wake up and the nightmare will still be going on. I have a very different view of the criminal justice system compared to before this experience happened and question a lot more things I hear about in the media particularly regarding sexual abuse allegations. It's clear the CPS and the Police only believe people who make these allegations and spend lots of time trying to gather evidence to support the allegations, even when it's clear there is no basis in many of the cases. As a victim of sexual abuse myself, I have questioned through this experience whether to make a complaint against the culprit but I will not be doing that as I have no confidence in the Police whatsoever and have been through a difficult enough time in the past two years and need to take care of myself.
I'm still finding it difficult to move on from the whole experience and feel it will continue to affect me for quite some time in the future.
Comment