It's Fact - Innocent Imprisoned

In 2002 former Southampton football club manager David Jones stood in the dock

NOT GUILTY

It’s F.A.C.T. INNOCENT People Imprisoned

at Liverpool crown court facing 21 charges of abuse of children at a Merseyside children’s home during the 1970's and 80's. The trial was stopped after four days and Jones was acquitted. In 2002 Anver Sheikh was accused of sexually assaulting two youths at the care home where he worked 20 years earlier. In 2004 his solicitor found records

NOT

proving that Anver Sheikh had not been at the home at the relevant time: his

GUILTY

conviction was quashed but he was sent for retrial. His accusers changed the dates in their statements and he was convicted again. In 2006 his solicitor uncovered evidence that showed his accusers had lied . His conviction was quashed and he was freed in October 2006.

NOT GUILTY

In 2003 Basil Williams-Rigby and Michael Lawson were released after serving three years in prison for offences alleged to have been committed at an approved school in Merseyside in the 1970's and 80's The Court of Appeal quashed their conviction. In 2004 George Anderson and Margaret Hewitt were convicted in 2004 on 70

NOT GUILTY

counts of abusing children at a Barnardo’s home more than 20 years earlier. Their convictions were quashed in 2005 after one complainant admitted that his allegation was entirely invented, and alleged that the other complainants had lied. At the appeal hearing it was alleged that one police officer gathering evidence had taken the complainants to see a compensation lawyer before arrests had even been made. Since this time F.A.C.T. has become aware of dozens of carers, teachers and others who maintain they are their innocent of the offences for which they have been convicted.

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male nurses fear sexual abuse charge if they touch patients Sun day Tri bun e, 12 Ma rch 200 7

Children’s Commissioner says adults are now scared to work with children BB C Sco tlan d, 16 Jan 200 7

abuse claim islander weeps as key witness admits telling lies Gla sgo w Her ald , 26 Sep t 200 6

Daily Telegraph, 9 No v 200 6

If two people accuse you, then you are t guilty. They ge compensation, you get jail ra ph , Su nd ay Te leg 06 20 t 23 Oc

F.A.C.T. recognises that in the past some carers and teachers have abused children but says false allegations have snowballed to such an extent that “if you work, or have ever worked, with children you now stand a very good chance of being wrongly accused of abuse”.

For more information please contact F.A.C.T., P.O. Box 3074, Cardiff CF3 3WZ Phone 02920 777 499. Email: [email protected] or visit www.factuk.org Membership is open to carers, teachers, social workers, health care professionals, clergy, youth and community workers sports coaches and foster parents.

Teacher who died in prison is cleared

posthumously of rape Leeds Today, 25 April 2006

Doctor’s a ccuser had record of lies and fa lse allegations The Times , 2 0 S ep t 2 006

Jai led ab use teach ers are inn ocen t Sco tlan d on Sun day , 25 Jun e 200 6

Foster carers deserve protection from malicious allegations The Times, 17 Oct 200 6

Public Warning If someone close to YOU works with children or vulnerable adults ... … you could see them unjustly dragged through the courts, vilified as a monster, and taken away from their family to serve a long prison sentence. F.A.C.T. believes that at least 120 people working in the teaching, caring, and related professions have already been imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Most stand convicted of historic sexual abuse said to have taken place as long as 40 years ago. All of them maintain their innocence even though this means they will have to serve longer sentences for doing so. We have every sympathy with those who have genuinely been abused and support them in wishing to see justice done. Unfortunately many individuals are now are now making untrue allegations, often for psychological reasons, or financial payments with compensation that may run into tens of thousands of pounds. The frightening fact is that once accused, your chances of successfully defending yourselves are very slim. Decades later there is no forensic evidence, witnesses may have died, and records which could have exonerated them have been lost or destroyed. It’s your word against someone elses. When faced with simply deciding who is lying juries are inclined to favour the child or vulnerable adult. The devastating result is that people who have dedicated their working lives to helping others are rewarded with a prison sentence, accused of the most heinous of crimes, while their families are left to face the pointing fingers and to cope alone.

Published by F.A.C.T. P.O. Box 3074 Cardiff, CF3 3WZ

Come off it folks, how many paedophiles can there be?

F.A.C.T. (Falsely Accused Carers and Teachers) is a voluntary organisation which supports carers and teachers who have been falsely accused and/or wrongly convicted of child abuse, and campaigns on their behalf for changes in investigative practice, and for reform of the criminal justice system.