For someone accused of sexual assault, the fact is that your life is going to change. Defending yourself with the right legal assistance is a way to mitigate the damage, to protect your reputation and to protect your family.
Even accusations of sexual assault or abuse can make your social life, job or school difficult. If this is the first time you’ve been accused of any wrongdoing, you may not know what to expect, either. How can someone accuse you of something you didn’t do or twist a situation to look like you did something wrong?
The truth of the matter is that people do lie and manipulate facts to get their way sometimes. A study reported in 2009 stated that around 8 to 10 percent of all accusations of rape are false. That’s one in every ten people being accused without reason for the accusations.
Where’s the problem beginning? Sometimes, someone participates in a sexual act and regrets it later, making accusations to protect their appearance or to get out of trouble; other times, the wrong person may be identified and accused. In other situations, a girl or boyfriend who has been shunned may start rumors or allegations to get revenge on the other party, not considering how serious the charges really are and how it could actually hinder someone else’s life. There are many reasons you could be facing charges, but it’s most important to know that it’s not unheard of for these charges to be falsified. It’s possible to overcome the accusations, particularly if you can prove you weren’t with the person or that there is no evidence of sexual activity between you.
Source: Slate, “How Often Do Women Falsely Cry Rape?,” Emily Bazelon and Rachael Larimore, accessed Jan. 21, 2016