Rape victim jailed for falsely retracting accusation against a violent and abusive husband - help with campaign sought

Actually, thinking about it more.

She is getting the blame for causing "substantial resources" to be used in proceeding with the case.

She was not the one who decided to go ahead. If she had been allowed to drop the case - or been given more support to help her stand up to her abusive husband - then these resources would not have been used.

Why should the blame rest on her? Why was no one at CPS willing to say, "This is shit, she is unwilling to testify, we are never going to convict him without his wife's testimony, as much as it angers us to let this lowlife go, we have no choice".

BBC

A spokesman for the CPS at Dyfed-Powys told BBC Wales: "This case was extremely unusual in that the complainant actively worked to derail the trial, by first telling police she had made up her original evidence, and then changing her story again and saying it had been true.

"It was impossible to proceed with the case against her husband in these circumstances, and it was felt that the difficult decision to charge the complainant with perverting the course of justice was justified, particularly as substantial resources were used to investigate and prosecute the alleged rape and to provide support to the complainant."

Understandable that they were angry at her changing her statement several times, but to charge her - did they really think that was the next step?

Women against rape

Got to go out this morning and we are getting visitors this evening but I will try and find time this afternoon to get back on here and write some more emails.

I have contacted some of the bloggers mentioned, UKFeminista, Fawcett Society, MPs and Ministers.

thread here on American website with head of CPS's email address

They also talk about the case in Texas where a cheerleader was thrown off the squad for refusing to cheer her abuser. He was not convicted of the rape, but of a minor charge so that the school wouldn't lose one of their star players.

Cause, you know, football is more important than rape.

Just C&Ping from other thread, to keep it all together.

From Cath Elliott's blog: toomuchtosayformyself.com

QUOTE:
Plus I?ve just received the official statement on the case from Rape Crisis (England and Wales), which I wanted to highlight here. Here it is:

?Rape Crisis (England and Wales) are outraged that yet again a woman is being punished and criminalised for choosing not to pursue her case through the criminal justice system (CJS).

This flies in the face of any progress that has been made in the last few years around how the CJS responds to women who have been raped.

We are shocked that this woman has received a custodial sentence and by the length of it. It highlights a complete lack of understanding of the complexity and reality of women?s experience of violence in their lives.

The act of making a false retraction is not an offence in its own right and we are calling for her immediate release and for an investigation into how this shocking situation has arisen.?

I really hope Rape Crisis and the other women?s organisations who have spoken out for this poor woman are successful and that she gets released soon. I also hope the judge ends up facing some kind of disciplinary action for their appalling decision.
QUOTE close.
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GENNnrflk Wed 10-Nov-10 21:14:03

Blogs already writing about it... toomuchtosayformyself.com/2010/11/08/statem ent-from-rape-crisis-on-the-false-retraction-story /

Feel free to follow Cath Elliott (also writes on Guardian Blog) on twitter @CathElliott
... unapologetic feminist and blogger
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GENNnrflk Wed 10-Nov-10 20:59:51

Yes, UKFeminista & Fawcett Society. I'll check my links... there is an organisation that creates online petitions, which are easy and quick to sign for individuals and the organisation represents matters of injustice (like this).

To be continued....

Very sad story indeed. MME, great letter.

I emailed the Secretaries for Justice, Women, and Wales. Plus my MP.

Will work on something for the blogs, perhaps a bit shorter.

Find your MP

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice 2010 Kenneth Clarke - [email protected]

Minister for Women and Equalities Theresa May - [email protected]

Secretary of State for Wales Cheryl Gillan - [email protected]

I have also added this to my letter:

As a British citizen, I am very concerned that court cases like this will prevent other women seeking justice if they are raped. This week on Mumsnet, a majority of the women who answered the question ?Would you report a rape?? answered in the negative. This absolutely shocking thread highlights how women are being failed. Failed by the police, failed by the CPS, failed by the courts.

I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts about this,

Yours...

You are perhaps aware of the court case last week that led to a woman being jailed for perverting the course of justice. The unnamed woman is 28 years old, mother of four sons and has for some years been suffering abuse at the hands of her now estranged husband.

Last November she phoned the police to report that she had been raped by her husband 6 times on three occasions. The police were no doubt aware of the fact that the woman was being abused, since they had been called to the house several times previously.

After coming under serious pressure from her husband and his family, the woman told the police in January of this year that she wished to drop the charges and was told that the Crown Prosecutions Service would proceed with the case.

In February she made a new statement to the police, stating that she had lied. She did this under the pressure of severe emotional blackmail from her husband and his sister.

When she realised that she could face several years in jail for making a false rape allegations, she made an final statement saying that she had lied, the rapes had taken place.

Obviously, under current law, she had tried to pervert the course of justice and could be prosecuted. The question is why the decision was made to do so, in the light of the continued intimidation by her husband.

Added to this is the fact that the police were called to her house on two separate occasions this autumn, the final time just weeks ago on 28th October.

The woman was by this time living separated from her husband, and when he tried to break into her house in the early hours of the morning in September, she naturally called the police. He was arrested and released on conditional bail, forbidding him going near her or the house. The CPS decided not to press charges and the restraining order was lifted on 28th October, the day of the alleged attack.

This time he dragged her out of her house, in front of her four children. He pulled her out of the house by her hair, and ripped off her clothes. One of the children later told the police that his mother ran back into the house with no clothes.

Despite the statements of mother and son, again no charges were brought against the husband.

I would be interested in knowing if you think that this is an acceptable stance for the CPS to take, and why there is not national outrage about a abused and confused woman being jailed, leaving her four boys without a mother for eight months. Not to mention the terrible emotional damage already inflicted on the boys.

It is a disgrace that a vulnerable woman has been treated so shabbily. It is no surprise that so few women are willing to report a rape when the threat of jail hangs over them should they for whatever reason decide not to go ahead with the court case.

yours disgusted from Tunbridge Wells, etc etc.