My Petition to Parliament

These are the reasons why I have been impelled to start a petition (read and sign here) asking for all those who have patently made false allegations of abuse to be brought to justice.

On the 18th of December 2012 my life was ripped apart. On that day I lost my career, my home, a community where I had lived for thirty years, my reputation and my peace of mind.

Early in the morning my home was raided by the police and I was subsequently treated by them for nigh on two years as if I were a criminal. Ultimately, a jury took a matter of minutes to reject unanimously the allegations made against me, something the police had refused even to contemplate for 672 days, even though they had not one shred of evidence to support the preposterous claims. The fact is they were duped by some compensation chasing liar and when they realised they had been told a pack of lies, they were powerless to punish him because, as they had encouraged and supported him throughout, this partiality had now compromised their own position.

My accuser has been able to continue his previous life with impunity and anonymity despite the fact he lied and lied again to the police, lies which could have resulted in a prison sentence for me. He also perjured himself in a court of law, which should be considered a very serious crime, although the agents of the State do not seem to think so.

I contend that what that liar did to me was unadulterated abuse and potentially far more damaging than the false claims he laid at my door that I had inappropriately checked to see he was dry after showers. When the lies were seen for what they were, he still walked away scot-free. Had he thought up a more plausible and more intelligent story, he would then have been able to claim more compensation money to add to the thousands he had already been awarded for claims made against another teacher at the same school.

This campaign is about bringing to justice people like him and has NOTHING to do with discouraging genuine victims of abuse coming forward. This campaign is not to suggest that if a person alleges abuse and the defendant is subsequently acquitted then that complainant is deemed to have lied and is accordingly investigated. Everyone knows that a not guilty verdict after a court trial does not make the accuser a liar; it means there was insufficient evidence to prove the claim or claims to be true.

This campaign focuses upon those who have OBVIOUSLY made false claims.

I suggest a jury returning immediately (i.e. less than an hour) with a not guilty decision would suggest a total lack of evidence and could well intimate a false allegation/allegations. This should certainly be enough to warrant an inquiry.

It has been alleged that no one makes false allegations of abuse, whether historical or recent. Well, I can confirm from first-hand experience that they most certainly do!

The reasons are varied but, patently, a vast amount of money, running into tens of thousands of pounds, more money than these liars would ever likely get their hands on, is a good reason to do so. Particularly as there is absolutely no chance of being called to account if their lies are exposed.

Many false accusers make vast claims either against the individual, if that person is wealthy, or from the company where their supposed abuser worked (school/church insurance etc) or from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This involves sums of hundreds of thousands of pounds. And what is even more shocking is the fact that, if an allegation is later shown to be fictitious, the claimant is allowed to keep the compensation money. There is no mechanism in place to reclaim monies wrongly claimed from private individuals or from the taxpayer via the CICA.

But money isn't the only issue.

There are those sad individuals living unremarkable lives who, by making an allegation, particularly against someone of standing in the community, can thrust themselves into the spotlight. For the first time in their life they are being listened to; the police are at their beck and call; the press want interviews (my accuser forewent his anonymity after his allegations against a previous teacher were believed). In some cases, false complainants appear to become addicted to lying. Surely the police and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) should maintain detailed databases of proven or suspected false complainants.

These false allegations are a waste of our already overstretched police resources and of taxpayers money and those who lie about having been abused put doubt into the minds of the general public about even genuine complainants, which is an appalling situation.

False allegations do not destroy the lives of only the accused - his or her family members have also to suffer in their own communities. Having the same surname as an alleged abuser can be very damaging.

Added to this, those vile, untutored internet trolls rarely wait for a guilty verdict before spitting their poison. After my arrest I was repeatedly encouraged to kill myself. The media also take great delight in publishing details of accusations - the more repulsive they are, the more copies they sell, the more people watch/listen to their programme.

Such is the damage of even being accused of child sex crimes, that person will have his or her name inextricably linked to the allegations for the rest of his/her life. Centuries ago in this country criminals would be branded on the forehead. Nowadays, search engines do the same job, the only difference being, now we are in 'more enlightened' times, you don't even need to be guilty of the alleged crime. Even if you are not charged or you are found not guilty, your name will be linked with child sex abuse for evermore. The reputations of those who are falsely accused are irreparably damaged, while the liar walks away scot-free.

Innocent victims of false allegations can find themselves held in prison on remand before trial or can even find themselves wrongfully convicted, as alleged sex crimes against children carry a particular stigma and, because of this, juries are naturally reluctant to acquit anyone who is unable to prove his or her innocence. Prejudice alone will suffice, proof is no longer required. This is the exact opposite of how the British justice system should operate. These victims, those who have been falsely accused, rarely, if ever, receive any compensation for their appalling ordeal.

I have made the point in other articles I have written that in cases of alleged sex abuse, the police start from a standpoint that the accused is guilty and then ignore any evidence to the contrary. They fail to interview key witnesses or make even cursory investigations if they think what they will find will not help their own case that the defendant is guilty. On the other hand, they use every avenue at their disposal to trawl for further allegations, particularly via social media. In my case they used a wealthy businessman, ostensibly fascinated by the whole tawdry topic, to advertise for fresh complainants. Is it any wonder that such foul practices encourage false allegations?

Because we are appalled by the thought that someone would abuse a child, there is much emotion attached to the topic and, thus, it is imperative that we treat any allegations of just such a crime in an intelligent, balanced, fair, cautious manner. If it seems, therefore, after a thorough investigation, as though someone has made false allegations, then that person MUST be called to account and his or her target publicly vindicated.

These are the reasons it is important you sign my petition.

Thank you.