WHEN WILL THE GOVERNMENT CHANGE LAW TO STOP MEN BEING NAMED AND SHAMED UNTIL FOUND GUILTY

The case last week where Peter Bacon was acquitted of rape (link, link, link) continues to highlight the problem faced by men who are falsely accused. It means that whilst he was innocent, the stigma of his name being made public means he will never escape from it, it is on the Internet forever.

As he said himself, his name has been dragged through the mud and he questioned why his alleged ‘victim’ received automatic lifelong anonymity, while he was named as an accused rapist.

In a statement read by his solicitor, he said: ‘This case seriously calls into question the lack of anonymity for people like Peter who have been wrongfully accused of rape, and who are ultimately acquitted.

Whilst there is the issue about the false accusation itself, at least a dozen years after the issue was raised nothing still has been done on securing the anonymity of the accused. Rightly, the accuser should not be named before the jury's decision but the accused should not be either. If he is found guilty then rightly he should then be named but he is not guilty as the systme stands an innocent man's reputation is ruined.

The Government simply do not seem interested in bringing in this change which suggests they are happy for innocent men to be named and shamed forever. This blatantly unfair and wrong law should not continue.

Some previous posts on this subject are here (link, link, link, link, link, link)

UPDATE - Another story of a false accusation where the man was named (link)

An article in The Times (link)

Comments

[John Kimble]

I think things would only ever change if a senior figure in the Labour party was the victim of false rape allegations - an even then Harman would still fight against it.

A key point the media seem to miss is that false rape claims are just as bad as rapes themselves and need the same sentence and equivalence in the law.

In particular it would be hugely effective to put these criminals on the sex offenders register - a false rape accusation is clearly a sexual offence.

[John Kimble]

here's a better article on the other false allegation case:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5077391/Lesbian-jailed-for-false-rape-accusation.html

Best not link to the bbc as they rarely do false rape cases any justice whatsoever. (1xtra aside).