We have often discussed controversies involving false rape allegations and the resulting punishment for such crimes. I have previously discussed the pattern of prosecutors in either not charging false rape victims or seeking relatively light sentences despite the incarceration of innocent men. (here, here, here, here, here, and here). One case of jail time came be found this week in England where Wendy Willson, 62, alleged that she had been raped and caused an intensive investigation. Later the police determined that the allegation was made for financial gain. She received six months in jail.

Willson falsely claimed that she was raped, beaten and robbed by two men with Eastern European accents. She later filed a £6,000 insurance claim for items stolen by the rapists. Yet, she never mentioned the stolen items to the police. That and inconsistencies led police to conclude that no rape occurred. By that time, 76 officers had worked 2,244 hours on the rape inquiry between December 2013 and May 2014 at a cost of over £70,000.

She claimed that the men spoke with eastern European accents when they broke into her home three days before Christmas in Norfolk. She said that they threatened her with a knife, hit her with a metal bar and punched her in the head. She said that she was knocked unconscious when she fell back and hit a kitchen item.

Judge Antony Bate correctly reminded her of the worse cost since “while officers were investigating your bogus claims they can’t be investigating other people’s genuine concerns. It diverted them away from much more important lines of inquiry.” That included, of course, real rape victims.

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