The Harrowing Example Why Alleged Abusers Should Be Kept Anonymous Until Proven Guilty
2 April 2018, 16:30
The Metropolitan Police has dropped its policy of automatically believing victims of alleged sex crimes after a series of flawed inquiries.
Police commissioner Cressida Dock has said officers should have an open mind when an allegation is made.
The police force had been criticised after a series of rape trials collapsed because evidence was not properly disclosed.
The policy of automatically believing alleged victims was introduced to encourage people to come forward with the confidence they would be taken seriously after accusations against Jimmy Savile were not properly investigated.
But the police force faced criticism for trusting claims by a man of a Westminster sex abuse ring which were found to be false.
Nicola from Eltham told Beverley Turner how one of her school teachers committed suicide after he was falsely accused of sexually assaulting two young boys.
She said: "His name was put into the local press before a court hearing was happened."
"His name was blasted around town.
"His reputation ruined."
She then said that it was only then that the two boys came clean and said they had lied.
“It’s wrong for the media to get a name and blast it before anything is proven."
