An opinion column in The Guardian dated September 13, 2013, follows the insights of one reader in the aftermath of an acquittal of English actor Michael Le Vell from charges of child sex offenses. The author makes it a point to state that once a person has been exonerated of all charges, there shouldn’t be any more finger-pointing. Accusations of rape also have to be read with a grain of salt. As the column rightfully points out:
All those worries about women making spurious allegations of rape to wreak vengeance on men? The solution to the so-called problem is simple. Start seeing people accused of sexual offenses as they deserve to be seen – as innocent until proven guilty. Start seeing people vindicated after trials involving sexual offenses as people who have made their own unpleasant, unfortunate, yet heroic sacrifice to a cause much bigger than them – the fight for justice for victims. Encourage those wrongly accused to see themselves that way.
Whenever a person is vindicated after a rape trial – especially a celebrity – they and the media are given a golden opportunity to declare themselves on the side of victims of rape and abuse, despite the fact that this will inevitably spawn some individual unfairnesses and privations.
Those who are wrongly accused should adopt a new mindset when faced with a case. Defendants should calmly tackle the accusation before them and focus on proving their innocence rather than throwing back accusations. The system works to properly identify criminals, and if you are innocent, then there’s nothing to hide and the system should absolve you. However, you should not talk with the police, child protective services or any investigative agency without first consulting a sex crime defense lawyer. If you find yourself in this kind of situation in the area of Houston, Texas, to help the court understand your position, you will need a Houston sex crimes attorney with a razor-sharp mind and a proven track record of success.
The data for false accusations of rape vary wildly, but it’s enough to know that there are many such cases. According to Linda Fairstein, author of the book “Sexual Violence: Our War Against Rape,” half of the 4,000 yearly reports of rape in Manhattan, New York apparently didn’t happen, and many who perpetuated lies did so for the sake of revenge or generating alibis for themselves.
Those wrongly accused of sexual crimes shouldn’t feel discouraged and angry. Instead, they should focus on justifying themselves fairly through the legal system. Defendants can enlist a skilled Houston sexual assault lawyer from law firms such as Scheiner Law Group, P.C.
(From Acquittal does not make someone a victim—this is just the system at work, The Guardian (UK), September 13, 2013)