Are You Falsely Being Accused of Sexual Assault?

No one can truly ever understand what it is like to be the victim of a sexual assault until they’re just that, a victim.

For many women (occasionally men), falling victim to a sexual assault or assaults can be the most troubling event they will deal with in their lifetimes.

That said having a support system (typically family and friends) to lean on can go a long way in helping the victim move on with their lives, even though the sexual assault oftentimes will be with them until the day they die.

The same holds true for those individuals accused of such an assault.

While there are certainly many rightful accusations of sexual assault, others can turn out to be false.

In those latter cases, careers and lives can be changed (sometimes damaged) forever.

Listen and Help

To begin with, no two alleged sexual assault cases are alike.

The alleged assaults can range from those they (victims) know to complete strangers. The attackers could be someone in the family, a boss or other co-worker, even a complete stranger. No matter who the attacker turns out to be, it is the victim that rightfully deserves attention and support.

That said some individuals are wrongly accused of sexual assault, leading to major changes in their lives too.

If you have a loved one and/or friend that have been alleged to (or wrongly charged with sexual assault), here are some tips to help them through this process:

• State one’s innocence immediately – Given the seriousness of being labeled a sexual assault attacker, it is important that such individuals state their innocence as soon as possible. Providing an alibi during the reported assault (see more below), cooperating with law enforcement and legal folks (see more below), and touting a clean history (no major arrests, convictions etc.) are all important;
• Providing evidence to the contrary – If you know someone that has been alleged to have sexually assaulted someone, it is important that the defendant provide as much evidence as possible stating to the contrary. In today’s age of technology, videos can play a major role in sexual assault cases. Providing visual evidence that the alleged attacker was not where they were reported to be during the sexual assault can be a win for the defense. Also having witnesses note that the alleged attacker was with them or seen elsewhere (not at the site of the reported assault) can carry a great deal of weight too;
• Solid legal help truly does matter - On the legal side of things, whether you need to find a Houston sex crimes attorney or one in your area of the country, it is critical that legal help is sought immediately. With the right legal representation on your side, you stand a greater chance of being proven innocent. When seeking legal assistance, be sure to vet a number of attorneys and law firms before choosing one. Factors like how long they have been in business, what their success to failure rate on avoiding convictions is, the level of customer service they provide, what the true financial costs will be, and how the legal team will ultimately represent you should all play major roles in your decision making. There typically are no “slam dunk” cases, so don’t assume that you will automatically be convicted or that you are totally in the clear. With the right legal help backing you, you stand a decent chance of avoiding being convicted (especially in cases of wrongful convictions);
• Appealing a conviction – There are countless people charged and ultimately convicted of sexual assault across this country regularly. That being the case, there are those charges and convictions that in the end turn out to be false. As such, appealing one’s conviction is an option that should always be considered. Yes, many appeals will in the end be denied in the courts, but some (convictions) will in fact be overturned.

Given the serious nature of alleged and actual sexual assaults, it is important for those being suspected of and/or charged with such crimes to seek assistance at once.

Simply put, time is of the essence if you are to prove your case.