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04 Nov 2020

In the UK, sexual assault is regarded as one of the most serious of crimes, carrying both a heavy jail sentence and an even heavier social stigma.

And so, even if you have never committed a sexual assault, if you are accused of committing one, it will typically lead to a blind panic and myths that you have heard in the past will surface; will you lose your job? Will you be stopped from seeing your children? And, of course, will you face any judgement from the community even if you are found innocent?

When you discover that you have been accused of a sexual assault, the first thing you need to do is contact our team at ABV Solicitors for specialist advice.

At ABV Solicitors, our sexual offence solicitor will offer you legal advice about your potential case and will be able to take a proactive approach towards proving your innocence. Everything from going over the accusers’ statements with the police to conducting interviews, we take pride in our defence strategy and vow at all times to remain professional and non-judgemental. What more could you want at such a tough time?

But what are some of the myths that you may have heard about sexual assault accusations? Our sexual offence solicitor debunks the most common 5 below.

Myth 1- If you are accused of sexual assault, you go to jail

While you may be arrested initially, our sexual offence solicitor will liaise with the police to have you released on bail or to have charges dropped.

As unsavoury as it may seem, many people who are accused of sexual assault are actually

innocent and so, with our team on your side defending you, it is unlikely that you will go to jail.

Myth 2- The police instantly believe the accuser

Unless there is overwhelming evidence that shows the accuser was actually sexually assaulted (such as CCTV footage), the police are unlikely to instantly believe the accuser. As mentioned earlier, many sexual assault accusations are false, and the police are used to charges being dropped by accusers, and they are legally required to remain impartial.

Myth 3- Your home will be raided

It is an image portrayed on television; a person is accused of sexual assault and the police raid your home.

If you are going to court at a later stage, then the police may request a warrant to search your home and place of work to gather evidence, but this is far from a raid!

Myth 4- You can’t disprove a sexual assault

Yes, you can.

Everything from alibis to medical exams can disprove a sexual assault and, if our solicitors detect any discrepancies from the accusers’ statement, this could be used to disprove their allegations too.