Although you have done nothing
wrong …this can happen to you …
These are actual
real-life events experienced by thousands of honest, law-abiding people falsely
accused of committing a crime on almost no evidence or without reliable witnesses,
or both. Social respect and community status are no protection against a criminal
investigation or social services invasion into your life.
Law-abiding
people like you are invaded or convicted on the word of a “victim” who either
holds a grudge against you, or else accuses you while barely knowing you, because
substantial financial compensation is quickly paid out to “victims” whether you
are proved guilty or not.
In the UK today you
can be accused of abuse on almost no evidence and
without any proper witnesses to support the story:
you
are likely to be told that you are just meeting pleasant people “for a little
chat” – but without you realising it this is actually an important meeting that
affects your whole future as a family and you would be wise to get help to handle
it safely;
you
likely to be given no information on how this situation works, on what is
expected of you, or about what you can do to help yourself or your child, or what
the authorities can do to you or your child;
you
may not be told what the actual accusation is that you face;
you
are very unlikely to be given any contacts to get information and support;
the
people investigating the case routinely assume you are guilty and treat you accordingly;
some of them seem friendly
and persuade you to trust them because they say they want to help you but then
they use anything you say or do to make it look as if you are guilty;
your
child or children might be interviewed completely alone without anyone they
know and trust to support them, and asked many questions about this story of your
supposed abuse;
if
you or your family become distressed about any of this it is taken as a sign
you are “emotionally unstable” and this can be used against you; but if you show
no distressed reaction you can be classified as “cold” and this can be used against
you;
the
strain of “child protection” intruding into your family can make you depressed
or ill for a long time, or push you into debt, and therefore unable to provide
your child with the protection and love you usually give them;
the
record made can be full of mistakes that make you look bad but even if you taped
the meeting/s and try to insist on corrections the mistakes are rarely corrected;
you can be arrested in your own home in front of your family and in full view
of your friends and neighbours, held in a police cell, interviewed under caution,
charged and called to appear in court;
you
can lose your job and not get another as good, or any work at all, for years;
you can be forced
to go away and stop seeing your children even if you are not formally charged
of a crime;
your
partner, friends or neighbours can disconnect from you, or become strained and
reluctant to let their children see yours, because it is known you are likely
to be a dubious person;
the
court that deals with you can be held in complete secrecy: no records are
made, and you are legally forbidden to speak of it to anyone to get support or
advice, or show them the appalling things stated about you (except your solicitor).
You may not even talk to your family and this continues forever after;
alternatively your
photograph, name and address might appear in the local and national press and
on TV, insinuating what an evil monster you are;
your
house, car and family can be attacked by people angered by the publicity about
you;
your
children can be taken away from you – and quickly adopted into another family;
you
can be convicted without proof, evidence, witnesses or corroboration and live
for years in prison;
your
case is never finally closed down and you live for ever after under suspicion
by the authorities;
any
other child you have now or laterwill be at risk of the same treatment and may
be removed from you.
This
can happen to you even if you have done nothing wrong.
What faso does to
help
faso
offers clear information, practical advice, and emotional support to anyone affected
by false accusation