Do These Four Things When Facing False Allegations Of Rape
Few crimes that will make the society loathe you as much as sexual crimes. Even false allegations are enough to ruin your reputation. That's why you need to be on toes with your defense from the moment you are falsely accused of rape. If you are ever faced with a false charge of sexual assault, take these four steps to prepare for your defense:
Stay Away From Your Accuser
Resist the temptation to argue, negotiate or harass your accuser. The more you contact them, the more their accusations will have weight. Besides, there is also the possibility that you may get angry with them and do something that may derail your defense later. Besides, if they can accuse you of rape, how can you be sure that they won't make further allegations regarding your subsequent meetings?
If it's impractical to stay away from them, for example, if you work at the same company, make it a point to have a third party present every time you must be in your accuser's presence. The third party can bear you witness when the accuser later makes further accusations against you.
Preserve the Evidence
Few things can arouse suspicion of guilt like the destruction of evidence. Therefore, do your best to ensure every little piece of evidence is intact for examination of the authorities. This means you should keep all pieces of clothing you were wearing that day (including undergarments). In addition, you shouldn't delete any communications (such as emails and text messages) or social media messages.
Get Character Witnesses
Character witnesses are people who can testify that, as far as they know, you aren't likely to engage in rape. These should be people who know you well enough and have known you for a long time. They can be your boss, workmates, or religious leader. If the issue proceeds to trial, expect the opposing attorney to grill your character witnesses to try to poke holes in their testimony. Therefore, choose people who know you well enough to know that you could not have committed the crime.
Get an Expert Witness
Lastly, you will need expert witnesses to dissect your accuser's allegations, examine the technical evidence and explain to the court (in everyday language) your side of the story. You may need more than one type of expert witness. For example, you may need a psychologist to explain why you don't fit the profile of a rapist. You may also need a medical doctor to explain the results of medical tests (if any were taken) to the court.
Since courts have zero-tolerance for sexual crimes, don't be surprised if it seems that the plaintiff's words carry more weight than your denial. You have your work cut out for you in terms of defending yourself; the above four measures are just the beginning. Consult a criminal defense attorney to help you defend yourself.