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The ordeal of false allegations of sexual nature, professionally or in personal life

  • 23-05-2014 6:52pm
    #1
    iptba
    Registered Users Posts: 4,873 ✭✭✭


    I couldn't think of a thread this fit well under, so have started a new thread.

    I was prompted to start it after reading what this doctor had to go through:
    The accused

    Public exposure from complaints and claims can cause doctors to face a trial by media. In 2011, a UK GP was accused of sexually motivated conduct when he examined a patient’s chest – he shares his experience with Sara Dawson
    http://www.medicalprotection.org/ireland/casebook-may-2014/the-accused

    I thought it was interesting that he lost anonymity. Also, that his whole career could be threatened. And also the financial problems of having nurses around to provide chaperones the whole time.

    I personally have never had to face such an accusation. But it is something I think many men worry about and seems like it may be one reason fewer men take on some jobs e.g. primary teaching.


Comments

  • #2
    ravima
    Registered Users Posts: 848 ✭✭✭ravima


    The punishment in law for a person who makes such a complaint, should be the same as that which would have been imposed on the the person complained of, if s/he was found guilty. It is a very low thing to do, as despite the law saying you are innocent until propven guilty, in sexual offences, you are guilty until you prove your innocence.


  • #3
    iptba
    Registered Users Posts: 4,873 ✭✭✭iptba


    ravima wrote: »
    The punishment in law for a person who makes such a complaint, should be the same as that which would have been imposed on the the person complained of, if s/he was found guilty.
    Perhaps in some cases. Although in the particular example I linked to in the original post, it probably wouldn't warrant it in my opinion as it seems more like a matter of misinterpretation. Not exactly sure what should be learned from such a case. Certainly protecting oneself seems important.
    ravima wrote: »
    It is a very low thing to do, as despite the law saying you are innocent until propven guilty, in sexual offences, you are guilty until you prove your innocence.
    Yes, that seems to be the attitude among many.


  • #4
    Wishiwasa Littlebitaller
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,337 ✭✭✭Wishiwasa Littlebitaller


    It should be illegal to publish details of accusations / cases / trials etc, either in the media or online, until the person concerned has been found guilty.

    It's nobody's business otherwise.


  • #5
    Pawwed Rig
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 22,289 CMod ✭✭✭✭Pawwed Rig


    ravima wrote: »
    in sexual offences, you are guilty until you prove your innocence.

    Or you are guilty even if you prove your innocence. Some mud tends to stick


  • #6
    iptba
    Registered Users Posts: 4,873 ✭✭✭iptba


    Here's a story from New Zealand about a man, who was (falsely) accused of rape, who was killed by vigilantes (perhaps the men could be called "White Knights"?):
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/10103356/Glen-Jones-name-cleared-as-his-killers-are-jailed


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  • #7
    helimachoptor
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 21,639 Mod ✭✭✭✭helimachoptor


    I wrote a post here a long long time ago which now i cant find but ill summarise.

    When i was in school and working in my local supermarket. There was a girl in my school 2 years below me, who had a serious thing for me, however it wasn't reciprocated in anyway by me, she gave me a valentines card in front of the whole school. At this point i had rejected her advances several times. In the local night clubs i bumped into her a few times.. again i rejected her.

    Anyway a few months later at the store xmas party i was having a good time as you do and i go home.

    I get into school on Monday.. principal and 2 gardai standing there, i'm thinking "someone is in some major s**t", turns out it was me!

    I'm in the principals office, they called my parents however neither had a mobile but i was compos mentis and knew i hadn't done anything wrong.

    So the girl had said on the Saturday night i had rang her and made certain sexual threats lets say.

    So I told the gardai where i was.. 100 or so witnesses, there were payphones in the hotel so i told them feel free to contact the hotel and check the CCTV/call records to see if there were any calls.

    Gave them my home phone number so they could check with eircom and said i could give them the phone bill when it came in.

    Also told them of her obsession etc and they had a quick chat with one of the teachers who witnessed the card giving and a few of my class who would have been out when she tried it on with me.

    My aunty at that time worked for a very large lawfirm so got one of her solicitors to get involved, however i was pretty naive and was thinking i'm innocent and justice will prevail (it did but i would not take that approach now tbh)

    So a few days later the gardai let me know they completed their investigation... they can find no calls to the girls house and all alibis etc check out.

    They go back to her and she says actually it was another guy, he's cleared, then she blames a girl.

    The 2 gardai who i met on the first day were pretty decent and from what they said afterwards they knew within a couple of mins of talking to me i hadnt done anything.

    In the end the girl was charged for wasting police time, iirc she got 10 hours of community service.

    This was before bebo/facebook etc, which is pretty lucky because tbh at this point no one remembers it even happened!

    You can imagine in a school environment with social media now this stuff would explode.

    I did however learn a valuable lesson, never put yourself in a situation where you can be labelled with something like this and not have evidence to prove your innocence.


    As can be seen from the UK trials of the soap stars and most of their subsequent collapse i think the powers are happy for the most part to go headlong into the trials without having sufficient evidence to prove you guilty, frankly now you are guilty until proved innocent.


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