The context and impact of being wrongly accused of abuse in occupations of trust

Journal article

In recent years, there has been rising concern that allegations of sexual abuse, particularly non‐recent abuse, have not received an appropriate response. From this has emerged a new determination to correct past and prevent further injustices, with police operations focusing considerable resources on the identification and prosecution of child abusers. Police and other services have reached out to encourage reporting, and developments in the trial process related to the rules of evidence have eroded due process protections for suspects. This article considers this changed legal and social context, and the processes entailed in responding to allegations of abuse, before presenting original empirical data, gathered from the accounts of 30 men and women who were wrongly accused of abuse related to their employment in occupations of trust. It demonstrates the considerable and lasting harms done to those who face allegations of such heinous crimes.

Authors: Burnett, R; Hoyle, C; Speechley, NE

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
• Journal: Howard Journal of Crime and Justice
• Volume: 56
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 176-197
• Publication date: 2017-04-06
• Acceptance date: 2017-02-03
• DOI: 10.1111/hojo.12199
• EISSN: 2059-1098
• Keywords: victims of sexual abuse; police investigations of non-recent abuse; rules of evidence; wrongful accusations