Arrested for being raped!

[Guest_Angel_*]

Dear All,

You may have read my previous articles in regards to being raped by my ex-partner! My court case took place in October. I was ripped into by the defence for 2 days. On the third day, my doctor gave misleading and incompetent answers to the Judge and Jury in regards to evidence. The following day at court, assuming I may have to give more evidence - instead I was arrested for perverting the course of justice because they said I tampered with the doctors evidence. My case collasped in court and the CPS directed for a not guilty verdict, and the CPS also decided to offer no evidence.
Can this be for real, now i'm on Bail till January. I cannot believe this is happening to me. He's walking free - calling me with threats - we were all shocked, especially the Police. My doctor and the CPS have really let me down. Is this justice - I think not. Now im still fighting to clear my name from perjury when I have done nothing wrong.

Could somebody pls advice me on this - I also will not be accepting double jeopardy as my doctor has made my case collaspse and because of the incompetence of the CPS. Can I get a re-trial....??? I will fight for this and take it as far as I can. And as for perjury, my solictors thought it was the most ridiculous thing ever. I will not remain quiet and will make a stand. I'm the one who has been wronged and raped. Is this Justice?????

Pls help!!! Angel.

[Ashley]

Seems we are all a bit retiscent to pick up on this one, a bit hot perhaps!!!

There are people who post in this forum who have been falsely accused(me included) or are very close to someone who has been falsely accused. You now find yourself in that position and must have that horrible stomach churning feeling of intense fear. You are also in a unique and unenviable position of being able to relate to victim status as well as that of falsely accused. There has been some debate in the past, and I don't want to re-open it, but perhaps you can comment on which feels the worse.

In every trial one of the parties is not telling the truth but that doesn't result in prosecution of the party to whom the verdict went against. From your post it would appear that yours collapsed in quite dramatic fashion. I do not want to comment on this further, the detail is scant. Nevertheless, you will now face due process and the only thing I can say about that is, the law and the truth are two entirely different commodities.

Double jeopardy incidentally is not an issue here. Double jeopardy is a fundamental principle of our legal system which prevents a person being tried twice for the same offence. There is a lobby to remove the principle for serious offences (which I wholly support). It means that if a person has been tried and acquitted (as opposed to the jury failing to reach a verdict), they cannot be tried again, even if compelling evidence of their guilt is uncovered. As you have not faced any trial, double jeopardy is not an issue.

We take everyone here as being open and candid, in that vein you have our sympathy and best wishes.

Ashley

[mary545]

There is no justice in the UK
Our society is full of corrupt professionals who in the eyes of the law can do no wrong.
You have become the latest victim to realise that you do not have any human rights in the UK.
Tell your story to whoever will listen.
Most of all
Tell the Media

I wish you courage as wishing you luck would not be appropriate

If I can be of any assistance feel free to contact me

Mary

[diana_holbourn]

Sorry to hear about your case, Angel. I think the only thing you can do is to make as persuasive a case as you can. But regarding the threats he's making against you, you may be able to get him prosecuted for those. See a thread started by someone whose rapist was also found not guilty and began threatening her: He's found not guilty... now what happens to me?, Looking over my shoulder.... Maybe he'll say something in those threatening calls that'll incriminate him and so if you get them taped, you can at least prove he raped you.

Ashley, I think Angel meant she wouldn't be accepting that her rapist can't be tried again because of the double jeopardy laws.

[val lavender]

Hi Angel

as someone who has been the victim of a false allegation who went on, having been found not guilty, to getting his accuser investigated for perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice [ i will tell you the outcome once the investigation is finished] I do know a bit about the system.

I have every sympathy with anyone facing the iniqueties of the british legal system, but for you to be facing proceedings in this manner is pretty unusual, without more details it is very difficult to know what to suggest.

Perjury is very difficult to prove and the following key points of evidence are lifted straight from the police criminal investigation manual.

In respect of the offence of perjury the following are the points to prove:

1/ the witness was lawfully sworn
2/ the person was a witness or interpreter
3/ the act was in judicial proceedings
4/ wilfully - the interpretation being it was made deliberatly or intentionally and not accidentally or mistakenly
5/ the evidence is a material statement
6/ the witness gave a material statement knowing it to be false or not believing it to be true

Additionally, section 13 of the 1911 perjury act states:-

a person shall not be liable to be convicted of any offence against the act, or of any offence declared by any other act to be perjury or subornation of perjury, or to be punishable as perjury soleley upon the evidence of one witness as to the falsity of any statement alleged to be false.


that covers the perjury side, also it seems pretty unlikely that you can be prosecuted for false statements by the doctor unless you asked or forced him to make those statements

Perverting the course of justice is another matter all together and if you want details on that you had better let me know as that is a very complex area that relies on stated cases as it is acommomn law offence and could overload this site [my e-mail address is vallavender@msn.com]

If you want general advice and support you cpold try the Women Against Rape website or FASO who are also on the web

Good luck with it

Val

[diana_holbourn]

Angel emailed me this afternoon saying the CPS dropped the charges against her, acknowledging they'd made mistakes.

She said she's going to speak to government members about this kind of injustice and other crime, so she could bring up any issues anyone else thinks are important. Would anyone like anything brought up?

[val lavender]

Hi Di

I have sent my thought to Angel on this issue, I hope she gets a chance to raise an issue or two

Regards

Val

[tara]

hi all - has anybody heard anything from Angel? I was just wondering if she is ok?

tara

[diana_holbourn]

I heard from Angel just yesterday. She seems allright. She said she was arrested but wasn't charged in the end. She said: "I was used as a scapegoat as no one was prepared to take responsibility for the discrepancies and mistakes before and during trial." She said she's going to see Tony Blair tomorrow and asked me if I would like to say anything about my opinion on crime in society that she could pass on, or whether I'd like to ask any questions. She said she's also hoping to see Harriet Harman as well at some point.

Perhaps if you have any comments, you'd like to pass them on? If you post them here in the next few hours, I could pass them on to Angel.

[val lavender]

Hi all

The "debate" program is being trasmitted on Channel Five at seven'O'clock tommorow night.

On the basis that Angel is appearing and is determined to question Herr Blair on a number of issues, I for one will be watching.

Regards


Val