...
"vindictive lies."
Mr Sandham said the 'malicious and evil allegation' had turned his life into a living nightmare.
The dad-of-three said he had been completely shocked and devastated when he had first been accused.
Well, yes. And just what made you think you'd be treated any different?
The former police officer, who spent two years on the beat in Blackburn, has also spoken of the shame he felt at having to attend Greenbank police station, in the town, where he had previously worked.
Ah. Yes. That'll be it, then...
12 comments:
Oi, womankind. There's more to that story by far than the bits you highlighted. Did you consider at all the effect of a spurious rape charge upon a man? It's one of our greatest fears, growing every year. And do you know what happens to rapists in prison, even the one that 'ain't done it'?
I think the least disturbing aspect of this story is the shame of a man having to attend his former place of work. It's bloody natural he would do so and besides, it pales alongside the shame (and fear) he would have felt every time (thousands) he popped his head outside this own front door.
You're using a certain disdain for the Police to trivialise the injustice visited upon this man. Thank goodness his wife stood by him at least.
Paul (no relation).
Paul, if you use the search tag 'lying about rape', you'll see I'm not unaware of the consequences of these accusations AT ALL.
@Paul, it's interesting that your take away from this story is that JuliaM is trivialising this man's ordeal because of her disdain for the police.
What I got from this story is that the whole legal system is now so biased towards the accusers of rape that the accused - even former police officers - are humiliated, degraded and maligned even when there is absolutely no evidence to support the rape accusation.
Julia
Fair enough and I do know that. I like your blog and agree with most things you say. On this occasion I think you erred somewhat.
I just think you needed telling.
Now be told woman!
... the shame he felt at having to attend Greenbank police station... and see people you used to work with is horrific... I have only ever been on the other side of the counter so having to answer questions about such a serious crime was unimaginable.
Terrible ain't it!
There's an opportunity here for the police to learn something about their inhuman 'customer service' after one of their own has experienced it. Do you think they will?
Depends what slant you put on this.Even though he was an ex-PC he still got treated the same as everyone else,you should be pleased about that.
Jaded.
@ Cowboy Online:
I agree thats what one may get from the story, that is the whole story, but JM's bits of the tale and her higlighting suggested far less and in fact the moral was that everyone is equal under the law, even ex-policemen (and current ones), to which we would surely agree ...... and that as a result this man should have accepted the process of law as would anyone else. There was nothing otherwise that indicated sympathy for this man's or any other man's plight in these circumstances. Remember, the man was acquitted.
It seems to me like saying he should just bloody well put up with it whilst it drags on, as would any other man be forced to do so if accused. In essence (the fact he's an ex-cop) this is correct, but it's hardly a cry in aid of the increasing precariousness of mens' position under the law. There is after all, a certain gloating about the position he found himself in (because he was an ex-cop granted, not because he was male per se)
Nothwithsatnding I accept and believe Julia with regard to her opposition to spurious accusations.
It just twanged a nerve here and I had to point this out. Thanks.
Paul.
"...because of her disdain for the police."
Just to clarify, I have disdain for the polices' actions - not the police themselves. There are good officers still left.
Though they are getting very thin on the ground.
You are spot on about the bias in the system, though.
"I just think you needed telling."
That's what the comment section is for. It isn't a one-way conversation!
"There's an opportunity here for the police to learn something about their inhuman 'customer service' after one of their own has experienced it. Do you think they will?"
Not a prayer!
"...he still got treated the same as everyone else,you should be pleased about that."
See John's comment about how you treat everyone. Maybe it's time for a change?
"There is after all, a certain gloating about the position he found himself in (because he was an ex-cop granted, not because he was male per se)"
Not gloating so much as...'This is the system you no doubt championed and failed to speak up about while on the job, for fear of your career prospects. Now the jaws of the trap are closed on you, maybe you might like to reconsider?'.
There is, after all, in his statement (and I accept that the newspaper may have edited it) nothing to indicate that the process was wrong. Just a great deal of outrage and self-pity that it was applied TO HIM.
XX @Paul, it's interesting that your take away from this story is that JuliaM is trivialising this man's ordeal because of her disdain for the police. XX
WHAT?
IF I may jump to Julias defence(?)
It is not "disdain for the police", it is disdain for arseholes who can/do not do the job properly.
In this, you will find 99% of the Police are in agreement.
1% are what we are in disdain of.
Julia is just pointing this out.
We've had a good interchange of views here. Julia, thanks for that. I never for one minute thought you would 'disapprove' and then fail to publish my comments. It's an honest blog ma'am.
I see where you are coming from with your concerns. I just feel sorry for him, even if he is an ex-cop who never spoke out.
I don't recall reading about any action his accuser may have faced, though I accept that I have read recently about some malicious accusers themselves being jailed.
Tis a fearful situation, all of it.
Thanks
Paul.
@ Mine Furor
And was the '1% are what we are in disdain of' supplied by fortune cookie or the Dream Police comic?
I don't recall reading about any action his accuser may have faced
The difficulty is that because of how defamation law works, it is now a grey area for the MSM to explain anything about the case. But if you go back through the reports, the essence was this:
The alleged event happened in 2007 but was not reported for several years. When arrested, the man did not say one of the two fairly obvious things; either a) I never had sex at all or b) We had sex but it was consensual.
Instead, he danced around being a clever cloggs and was so busy playing word-games - 'I cannot admit to what did not happen' and 'no events of that sort occurred' - that he actually sounded dodgier than he in fact was. (Was he or was he not there that night? It's a simple enough question.)
There was still no actual evidence but there was an allegedly corroborative testimony. He is supposed to have admitted/boasted of an attack to an ex-partner.
Since the ex-partner was annoyed enough to give a statement to the police and to appear in court - which carries a risk of prosecution if the testimony is malicious - the case probably looked strong enough to prosecute.
Please note: I am saying nothing about the man who has been definitively acquitted. He is innocent.
I'm simply trying to explain that there may have been additional factors which could explain why the prosecution went ahead. Or it might just be another very bad call by the CPS; they do that a lot.
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