How long can this go on

[totallylost]

Quite scared at making this first post.
I was arrested in January 2017 for historical sexual abuse.
I have been rebailed many times until August 2018 when I was released under investigation
I am now still in limbo and my case is still not ready to go to CPS for a charging decision although officer has
asked for CPS advice since June.
Please tell me just how long can this go on. I am desperate.
I forgot to state the most important part - they are false allegations
Thankyou

[Franticwithworry]

Hi there, totallylost. I'm so sorry you had to find us but so glad you did. There's lots of information and support to be had here.

I'm afraid that the answer to your question 'how long can this go on for' is 'how long is a piece of string?' This limbo that so many people find themselves in is appalling, but unfortunately there's not a lot can be done about it. Things can go on for several years but as you are approaching the 2 year mark it's likely you are reaching the end of the road but there can be no promises. There's nothing legal that requires an investigation to be done in a specific timescale. It's awful for everyone concerned, genuine victims, those guilty and those falsely accused. (Needless to say, I have little sympathy for the false accusers though I recognise that some have their own sets of issues.)

Have you sorted yourself out a solicitor? If not, there is a recommendations thread on here and you could ask a solicitor if they could get a more detailed update for you, but again, it's not guaranteed and you may have to pay them.

All I can realistically suggest to you at this point is to continue to hang in there. The vast majority of false allegations never see the inside of a court room so the statistics are on your side.

Being falsely accused of a sexual offence is a truly terrifying experience, but having found us here, know that we will metaphorically hold your hand as much as possible. I'm sorry I probably haven't been much help in regards to your specific question, but hang in there. There are many of us living this nightmare and you don't have to live it alone.

[OEN34]

As Frantic said - there is no given timescale, but I assume your question was rhetorical.

My case lasted 15 months, which was agonising at times, so I cannot imagine how you feel. What I will say is that no news is good news, and as Frantic and the others say on here - the odds are in your favour for a No Further Action, though wisely prepare for the worst too, but do hold on to faith that the stats are on your side.

The whole system is flawed, and it needs urgent attention as I'm sure on here will agree.

What I will say is that if the case was considered extremely alarming and a threat to the public, I am sure you'd have been stood in a court box by now, so do think of this too.

I wish you the very best of luck and I imagine you are not too far off a decision now.

[Peter1975]

Welcome to Daftmoo Totallylost, although it is always sad to see someone new here we hope we can be of some comfort to you in knowing that you are far from alone.

The only thing I can add to the excellent advice above is that there can be a positive side to the long wait in that it gives you time to gather evidence and be well prepared for every eventuality.

As Frantic says, most cases do not see a courtroom but only you and your solicitor know the details ( and I don't suggest you give us details here on the public forum) - so are best placed to judge what you should or could be doing. Paying for a good solicitor's time to make representations to the cps before they make a decision may or may not be worth it depending on the evidence they think they have and this sadly comes down to cost as this money isn't recoverable. I think the going rate in London is about £400 per hour and half that elsewhere.

I will stress again the importance of a good solicitor should you be charged. If you are not confidant in the one you had for interview ( i hope you had a solicitor at interview!!) then there is a thread and a google map of solicitors recommended by DM members in the past. All of the sols recommended by Rights Fighter would be my first choice but fingers crossed, you won't need them.

Lastly, I know this is easy for me to say but try to keep busy, active, healthy and sane! Socialise if you can, it's important to get some support from family and friends and it's good to let your hair down every now and then.

I hope you get some positive news soon

[totallylost]

How long can this go on

Thankyou for taking the time to answer
I understand there is no straight forward explanations to be had, after this long I question totally how
the police investigations are conducted
No one who could end this for me have even been spoken to dispite my solicitor sending off representations
over a year ago
This is my 'only' family member that is accusing me of this so I am all alone with my pain although those friends I have told
are supporting me
I have been interviewd a total of six times now - is that normal?

[Franticwithworry]

I'm afraid it isn't at all unusual for the police not to talk to anyone who might remotely support you and provide a defence. I'm so sorry that it's a family member doing this to you. Family accusations are especially painful. It is unusual for someone to be interviewed multiple times so far as I know, and I can only guess that the accuser is drip-feeding them information but I could be completely wrong on that.

It would probably be worth having another chat with your solicitor and asking if they can get you an update of some sort, assuming of course that they have experience of this kind of accusation. I would have thought that they would have expressed an opinion about you being interviewed time after time. If they're not a specialist in false accusations, it's worth finding another and asking what they think of these multiple interviews. If you haven't spoken to a solicitor since they made representations, it's past time to ask for an update.

I'm glad you have support from friends. Even though you've found support here, friends in real life are invaluable.

[totallylost]

Is 22 months an unusual amount of time and the police still not ready to send to CPS. Sorry if I am asking stupid questions.
The time is killing me.

[Peter1975]

Is 22 months an unusual amount of time and the police still not ready to send to CPS. Sorry if I am asking stupid questions.
The time is killing me.

There aren't really any stupid questions TL, but yours is one that doesn't have a satisfactory answer.

22 months isn't unusual unfortunately but it is toward the upper end of timescales for investigations so you must be getting closer to getting a decision and my fingers will be crossed for the right result soon.

hang in there

[totallylost]

How long can the CPS take once it has gone there though?
I just cant seem to get my head around the fact there is only one complainant and no witnesses that can saw they 'saw' anything because nothing ever happened. So how can it go on for almost two years before going forward to cps.

[Franticwithworry]

It seems that the cases with least evidence can sometimes get put to the back of the queue and take the longest. I suppose it depends on how the OIC organises their workload. There isn't any upper limit on how long it takes the CPS either, but they do tend to be a lot quicker and in the realms of a few months rather than many months. The country is split up into several area offices and some are quicker than others too, it seems.

The waiting can be torture, I agree, but it will end. Hang in there, and come and have a rant here as often as you need.

[Peter1975]

How long can the CPS take once it has gone there though?
I just cant seem to get my head around the fact there is only one complainant and no witnesses that can saw they 'saw' anything because nothing ever happened. So how can it go on for almost two years before going forward to cps.

The mind boggles at what they could have been doing for two years doesn't it.... Sadly this is all too common.

Try and keep yourself busy, a watched kettle never boils!

[Pond31]

The mind boggles at what they could have been doing for two years doesn't it.... Sadly this is all too common.

Try and keep yourself busy, a watched kettle never boils!

hmmm I have a strong suspicion that they weaker cases are left to rot at the bottom of the pile, as the police prefer to bump of their conviction rates so don't want to close a load of false cases at once as this will reduce the win percentage.

btw witnesses are not just people who saw an event but also those who witnessed the aftermath. It has happened that a FA says she left x's house in a terrible state after being raped, crying, shaking etc and then you find a taxi driver who took them home remembering how they bright and friendly they were with them even having video of the drive. There is also people the FA spoke too did she act in a certain manner after an alleged event etc.

Pond31

[totallylost]

Thankyou to you all for trying to help me make sense of this. I guess my case is a bit different to some as my accuser said it was happening for 10 years. In that time we were involved with all medical and educational systems though. My accuser was a happy and achieving person until an individual with an issue with me began to drip feed reasons why you don't realise you have been abused. Innocent life soon became ----your mum did that because. A vulnerable young adult living away from home for the first time. I tried to warn authorities what was happening but my only reaction was. Your child is 18 and can make their own friends. My child had a history of being led so very easily into situations by others.

[OEN34]

I'd agree with Pond about some cases being left to gather dust at the bottom of the pile.

In fact, one of my relatives had to do a statement related to my case and in this instance he was a retired CID officer. He said first-hand that if there's holes in a case and there's no hard evidence, it will be considered and treated less urgent than a case that does have evidence and a realistic chance of a charge.

He said they do a little bit here and a little bit there, until finally they're in a position to send it to the CPS. He actually told my family member that the CPS are 'useless' and they act the same with cases. Non-urgent and non-threat to the public gather dust at the bottom of a pile and are looked at when the prosecutor dealing with your case gets half an hour here and there.

It seems an unusual amount of time that the Police have held on to your file for nearly 2 years before passing it to the CPS. I cannot imagine how you feel.

Don't take my word for this as I was someone in the same situation as you like many others on here - but, I held hope that the longer it went on, the more the odds were in my favour for a No Charge, as if it is urgent and I was an obvious threat to society, they wouldn't have me parading the streets each evening being given the opportunity to commit such ghastly crimes on people.

Keep your head up as much as you can. Everyday you are one day closer to a decision than you were the day previous.