To be falsely accused of committing a criminal offence is shocking and unnerving and you will naturally want a rated top criminal defence solicitor on your side. When that offence is of a sexual nature then the anxiety and fear that can take hold is on a different level. This is because sexual activity is something most people practice as part of their ordinary lives (as opposed to say burglary or robbery) and most sexual liaisons take place in a private space. When a retrospective spotlight is shone on that liaison it is not uncommon for those involved to have different recollections of the events that took place and for there to be misunderstandings and different perspectives, most particularly when dealing with the concept of the implied consent of both parties to participate and when and how this consent was signified.
If one party is of the clear belief that their consent was not provided then the other party can find themselves caught up in the bewildering machinations and frightening weight of a state prosecution with life changing consequences and draconian penalties. At such a time it is fundamental that clear concise and expert advice is sought and that trust and understanding of that advice is transparent. Experience and expertise are the keystones in providing the guidance that Richard offers in navigating someone through such potentially catastrophic waters.
Richard and his team have acted for numerous private clients charged with rape and sexual assault and most have been acquitted as a result of careful and considered advice using legal expertise and experience combined with the support of our bespoke crisis management service. We have developed a strategy which combines an immediate, proactive and aggressive response to police investigation, coupled with a sensitive and discreet approach to help protect clients from serious reputational damage.
Defending a false allegation of rape can be very difficult but there are things that can be done proactively to give you the best possibility of avoiding being charged or, if you are, of being acquitted.
It may be that you deny that your penis penetrated the complainant’s vagina, anus or mouth, or that such penetration was unintentional, or that you only did so in the reasonable belief that you had the complainant’s informed consent. Whatever the scenario, Richard can help you achieve justice.
If you are wrongly accused of the intentional sexual touching of another without that person’s informed consent or of physically or emotionally coercing somebody into touching in a sexual manner you have to take control of the situation and not simply sit back and hope that the police or the jury come to their senses sometime in the future.
Richard was admitted as a solicitor in 1990 and since then has been involved in defending clients accused of the most serious sexual offences; he will be able to advise you on how best to defend yourself and meet the false allegations, head on. He believes that a robust, proactive approach from the outset is essential. You can count on his experience to equip you with best defence possible.
A false allegation of historic sex abuse is often based solely on the word of a complainant but this can be enough to secure a wrongful conviction even if there is no other supporting evidence. It is vital that you take charge of the narrative of the case and don’t assume that it will be enough to simply say to a jury that it’s the complainant’s word against yours and in those circumstances they can’t be sure and so must acquit. Unfortunately, that is not how our justice system works and you will doubtless have heard of similar cases where the miscarriage of justice has not been established until years after a conviction.
Unfortunately, it is a sad fact that nowadays the current system of public funding by way of legal aid does not give an accused a real choice of representation, and in many cases the fee is so small that a publicly-funded lawyer, no matter how good his/her intentions are, will be unable to devote sufficient resources to a case. This is why Richard undertakes this work on a private retainer only.
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Robust
Strategic
Proactive
Tireless
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