May 2016 saw the online publishing of Oxford University’s study, The Impact of Being Wrongly Accused of Abuse in Occupations of Trust: Victims’ Voices

This much awaited report revealed the devastating impact wrongful allegations have on the lives of those wrongly accused and their families.

“In our view, the cumulative impact of these interviews is both shocking and

immense”.

“The majority reported high anxiety levels, severe depression, ill health and

associated symptoms of trauma, with short and longer-term symptoms, with some

experiencing permanent behavioural and personality changes. The effects of false

allegations were felt by their partners and children too, with anxiety and depression

experienced by many family members, in addition to consequential financial

burdens. The stigma of a false allegation is felt by the whole family and can lead to

family breakdown, or permanently damage the relationship”.

“The authors of this study hope that it will provide a valuable corrective to the

somewhat uncritical discourse that has dominated media, political and policy-making

discourse over the past 20 years – the discourse which states that victims will,

almost invariably, be telling the truth”.

The Full report and shorter executive summary are available from the website of the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford.

The summary https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/summary_report-_the_impact_of_being_wrongly_accused_of_abuse_hoyle_et_al_2016_15_may.pdf

The full report https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/sites/files/oxlaw/the_impact_of_being_wrongly_accused_of_abuse_hoyle_et_al_2016_15_may.pdf