Advice required on False accusation

[Unregistered]

Hi all,
I have known my partners cousin's daughter since she was 13 (she is now 29)
When I first met her she was suffering from anoerexia and was one of the most sweet,polite, mild mannered children I had ever met. As time went on I found out that her immediate family may have contributed to her condition - I knew her mother for 2yrs before I met my partner,socialising etc, and didn't even know she had a daughter until I met my partner! Her Grandmother looked after her for most of the time and sheltered her from the outside world.She hardly went to school, wasn't allowed out to play, was never allowed to meet her mothers boyfriends and was never out of her Grandmothers sight for more than 2 mins.
My heart went out to her and my partner and I thought the world of her and went out of our way, just to see her smile. To call her an angel would be an understatement.

As she got older her anoerexia improved (not fully, as she still has eating problems today) and she started to attend school regularly and generally catch-up on life.

Things took a turn for the worse in her late teens when she started to get a bit of freedom, and started to dabble with alcohol and drugs - she became uncontrollable and moved into her own flat at 17 because of the fighting with the mother and Grandmother.

After a string of boyfriends (mostly suppliers) she became pregnant and had a baby girl who suffers from brain damage and doesn't know who her father is, followed by another girl 2yrs later. All the time the partying never stopped.

A few months after the second child was born she decided she didn't want the children anymore and disappeared for 2 months without trace leaving the children with her Grandmother who was at her wits end. The children were split up and now live separately, one with the mother and one with an aunt. They both have legal custody.
The daughter still parties hard with her boyfriend and the two of them are making everyones lives a misery whenever they are fuelled-up on drink and drugs - threatening texts, phone-calls, abuse, restraining orders issued, mother, stepfather, aunt arrested. The Grandmother has had the Police out after a particularly vicious abusive weekend, who advised her to change her house and mobile numbers. (she is 82!!)

Where do I fit in to all this? Well this is the Best part!

She has now started telling her Grandmother that I raped her when she was 10!

This started about 2 months ago but her mother and Grandmother dismiss it for the pure fact that I did not know her when she was 10.

I was not worried at first, but then started to think what would happen if she told the Police. I spoke to a friend who is a Policeman who advised me to speak to someone in their "Care unit". I would like to know is this advisable? after reading about some of the treatment received from them, by some contributors on this forum. Is there anyway of stopping these accusations without Police intervention? Should I see a Solicitor? Do I need one?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time.

[Rights Fighter]

Do not under any circumstances go to the police with this. They will turn it into a prosecution to "up" their rape convictions.

If this girl does make an official complaint I would strongly advise you not to tell them that you were not in her life when she was 10 years of age. they will simply go back to the girl who will then make a new statement saying that the "trauma" has caused her to misremember that detail and the goal-posts will be widened.

Part of the caution when arrested is "anything you do not tell us now may go against you should this matter go to trial" (something along those lines). Your reasoning (to the jury should it get that far) for not telling them about the discrepancy is that you feared they would go back to the complainant and that she would change her story to fit the lies.

A criminal defence solicitor cannot do anything about this at the moment as there are no charges laid against you at present.

You need to keep your ear to the ground to find out the extent of the allegations and the details. If she does go to the police at a later date and the stories change from what she was telling others, then the "others" can give evidence to that effect.

Stay away from her. Keep a diary of events. All you can do is to wait and build up a bank of helpful witnesses.

[Saffron]

I echo RF on this. Do *not* go to the police. Your friend who is a policeman may mean well, but he would not be the one conducting the investigation. Rape is such a political hot potato that Plod will almost certainly turn it against you.
This girl sounds like trouble with a capital T. Do not go near her. The fact that her mother and grandmother dismiss her claims speaks volumes, and her drug and alcohol abuse also call her credibility into question - although she would probably claim that she "turned to" drugs to blot out the trauma.
If she does make a formal complaint, under no circumstances should you tell the police that you didn't even know her at the time of the "rape" - as RF said, they will go back to the girl and she will change her statement to fit the dates. I know this sounds incredible, but this is really what happens.
You could ask a solicitor to write her a letter telling her to back off, (she is slandering you, after all) but that may just be the prompt she needs to go to the police. So I would not advise it. Sit tight for the time being. As RF says, keep a diary of all her abusive behaviour, and make sure you do not meet her, even by accident.

Good luck.

[friday]

^im sorry you have all had such bad experiences with the police. but not all are like this. not suggesting you go to the police or anything but just wanted to say there are some excellent police officers. i reported my rape to the police, they arrested the man (with a bit of hassle, namely his inability to remember his name) and i was not told what he had said. even when it went to court i was unaware of his defence (although i guessed his defence would be consent, of course), i was not aware of the rest of the bull**** he had concocted and actually i really believe this is a rediculous system. if both parties were not told anything the other had said (other than names, charges, date of incident etc) then neither side could make up lies to fit with the other persons story and the lies would soon become apparent.

[Rights Fighter]

The problem with your suggestion that neither side should give details to the police is that they would then have nothing to investigate from the complainant's point of view. Further, if she just goes into the police station, says "I've been raped" and then gives no more evidence, then the police have no idea what they are dealing with - also of course a guilty person, once faced with incontrovertible evidence is more likely to admit guilt from the outset.

On the other hand, if somebody is falsely accused of rape or any other form of sexual abuse, then they have no way of proving their innocence - to a court of law. Some police officers will either ignore such evidence or make sure it does not reach the jury in any event. Not all police officers are like that, I know. But some are and will do anything to secure a conviction.

I was in the Court of Appeal last month where the CPS did not oppose the grounds for appeal. The police officer was furious and loudly ordered the barrister for the Crown to argue - she couldn't. he had not investigated the matter - when the suspect was interviewed he told the police why he thought the complainants were lying and they simply did not follow that up.