
International Falsely Accused Day
UK News & Updates
Mother, 31, who falsely accused 10 men she met on dating apps of raping her is jailed

A mother who falsely accused 10 men she met on dating apps of raping her has been jailed.
Stacey Sharples, 31, admitted to making up allegations against the men, most of whom were arrested and spent time in police custody.
She even bragged to one of her victims that the police were 'not pressing charges. I've got away with it. Yet again'.
The falsely accused Good Samaritan –
What can we learn?
How an innocent man was accused of rape

After getting drunk on a night out, arguing with a taxi driver and being thrown out of the cab, Rachel Jones was crying at the side of the road, when along came Salim Ullah, a happily married man whose wife was expecting a baby.
However, concerned about the girl’s distress, he stopped and kindly gave her a lift home.
Apparently grateful at the time, she tried to give him a hug but, instead he gave a high-five. Had it ended there, it might have been a routine feel-good story.
Unfortunately, for both of them, she took it into her head to go to the police and say she’d been raped in a lay-by by Mr. Ullah and two other Pakistani men.
The next thing Mr Ullah knew was that he was being arrested for
RAPE!
Ms. Jones was prosecuted (for once!) for perverting the course of justice, and was given two years prison sentence. (This is how it was reported in the press and it is unclear whether the sentence was two years (of which she would serve one year, or four years, of which she would serve two years). There should, of course, be a separate, named crime of making false allegations – the victim is not the justice system, it was the person who was falsely accused – the embarrassment and trauma of the arrest, the local gossip and the stress on both him and his 6-months-pregnant wife cannot be overestimated.
He was subjected to intrusive examinations and kept in a police cell for 30 hours and, of course, as is often the case, such action led to malicious gossip about him in his neighbourhood.
It is unlikely that Mr. Ullah had seen the FACT website, so it shows that it is a sad sign of the times but, unfortunately for Ms Jones, this Good Samaritan was also a wise one and recorded the encounter on his phone. Faced with such evidence, she retracted the allegations, admitting that she had made them up.
The Judge’s observations
The judge rightly pointed out that had Mr. Ullah not had the foresight to record the event,
“it does not bear thinking about the consequences had he not done so…I have no doubt he would have been prosecuted for rape and you would have carried on your merry way”.
Had that happened, it is likely that yet another innocent man would have gone to prison and would have added to the statistics about the ubiquity of rape and the successful prosecutions of rapists.
It shows that the statistics cannot be trusted and we don’t know how many innocent people are suffering through similar false allegations.
The Judge also illustrated the fact that Ms Jones’ actions will only lead other men reading about it to avoid doing similar good deeds in future.
‘Sadly the reason why many other people would not have gone to the aid of a lone woman distressed in the middle of the road without shoes, is due to what happened to him as a result of his act of charity. There will be many people who will say: “I am not doing that just in case a serious allegation is made. So she has not only harmed her victim, she has potentially harmed other women".
This is exactly why women’s groups and others who defend false accusers and say they should not be prosecuted need to realise that false accusers are the enemies, not only of genuine victims, but of all vulnerable people.
The judge rightly pointed out that had Mr. Ullah not had the foresight to record the event, “it does not bear thinking about the consequences had he not done so…I have no doubt he would have been prosecuted for
rape and you would have carried on your merry way”.
Had that happened, it is likely that yet another innocent man would have gone to prison and would have added to the statistics about the ubiquity of rape and the successful prosecutions of rapists. It shows that the statistics cannot be trusted and we don’t know how many innocent people are suffering through similar false allegations. The Judge also illustrated the fact that Ms Jones’ actions will only lead other men reading about it to avoid doing similar good deeds in future. ‘Sadly the reason why many other people would not have gone to the aid of a lone woman distressed in the middle of the road without shoes, is due to what happened to him as a result of his act of charity. There will be many people who will say: “I am not doing that just in case a serious allegation is made.” So she has not only harmed her victim, she has potentially harmed other women. This is exactly why women’s groups and others who defend false accusers and say they should not be prosecuted need to realise that false accusers are the enemies, not only of genuine victims, but of all vulnerable people. The police’s treatment of the falsely accused Detective Superintendent Helena Banusic, of Cheshire Police, said: ‘There is only one person in this case who needs to apologise, and that is Rachael. I hope the case does not impact on genuine victims of rape or sexual assault who may be fearful of coming forward. We treat all reports of this nature extremely seriously.” But the police are not as blameless as they would have us believe and they too should apologise to Mr. Ullah. They did not need to arrest him and keep him locked up for 30 hours. They said they carried out a ‘detailed investigation, that quite frankly wasted police time and resources.” So, although he was released after 30 hours, he remained under suspicion for four days, the malicious rumour-mongers spreading their evil gossip. So when did they view Mr. Ullah’s recordings? That Det. Supt. Banusic’s sorrow is more concerned with not preventing potential genuine victims coming forward, rather than the very real and immediate trauma caused to Mr. Ullah and his wife,speaks volumes about the police’s lack of concern for the falsely accused. The fact is, when they heard the allegations, they could have brought him in for questioning, without arresting him, to get his side of the story. That is what a truly neutral investigation would have done. They should have then looked at the footage exonerating him completely of any wrongdoing as soon as they knew of it (and I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t have been one of the the first things he mentioned) and ended his ordeal far quicker than they did. The waste of police time and resources was partly their own fault and pales into insignificance compared to the suffering of the Good Samaritan. It is this over-willingness to ‘believe the victim’ which causes such unnecessary trauma to entirely innocent people. It was the falsely accused, in this case, not the complainant, who was the victim. In fact, at the time of the allegation, Cheshire Police described it as a “horrendous attack”, before issuing an update two days later saying no crime had taken place. Isn’t this remniscent of the “credible but true” statement made by the police in the Carl Beech case? In spite of Sir Richard Henriques warning of exactly this type of thing in his report into that fiasco, the police continue to make the same mistake over and over again, without learning the lesson, and it sounds as if this experience will not change that policy as far as Detective Superintendent Banusic is concerned either. Motive for false accusations But what has still not been explained satisfactorily is why she did it. False-allegation deniers are always saying that it is so stressful going to the police and going through the whole process, “why would anyone subject themselves to that?” So why would anyone make such a heinous allegation against someone who had done them such a good turn? It makes no sense. She put it down to being drunk, but is that really enough? The reasons people usually make false allegations are: To harm the victim, out of spite or malice; to get revenge etc.; To cover for behaviour they don’t want others to know about, or are ashamed of; For personal gain – custody of children, compensation, attention-seeking, etc. Was it the rebuffed hug? Was Rachel Jones so upset that he didn’t reciprocate but instead offered a high five that she would wreck his life despite his good deed? Was it racism? She didn’t have to accept his kindness. If she was racist, why did she try to hug him? Of course, it could have been the thought of compensation. But if it was, that would have been unlikely to have come out in court because the authorities don’t like it being mentioned. If being drunk is, on its own, enough for someone to make false allegations against a person who has only been kind to them, then why on earth would anyone assume that false allegations are rare? God help us from people who DO have some kind of motive. The Sentence – false accusers vs SO Register Is the sentence she was given harsh enough? I’ll leave that for you to decide, but bear in mind he following – what sentence would her victim have got if he had been convicted of rape? When she has served her term, will she spend the rest of her life on a ‘False Accusers Register’, the existence of which prevents, or at least makes it extemely difficult for her to find employment, obtain insurance, open a bank account, travel to certain countries and more? Will she have to tell the police every time she gets a new credit card or spends more than 7 days in a year in a particular place? Will she need permission from the C of E to go to into a church? No, because unlike those (wrongly) convicted of sex offences, there is no such register and no such blight on the rest of her life. Unfortunately, the general public know next to nothing about the difficulties faced by people convicted of sexual offences and most do not care, because their naivety extends to assuming that they’re all guilty… until it happens to someone they know, when their eyes are opened. She might be genuinely sorry for what she did to that poor man and his wife and regret her actions, but the point is that, because people don’t take it seriously enough as the heinous crime that it really is, people like Rachel Jones will make false accusations when they haven’t got a metaphorical cat to kick. And the Justice system will give them a relative slap on the wrist. Conclusion – What CAN we learn? For any member of the public reading this Be wary. If you ever find yourself in a situation which could conceivably be misunderstood, press RECORD on your smartphone. Think of it like your dash-cam; a precaution, hopefully unnecessary, against the bad behaviour of others. For the Police False accusers exist – and apparently, if this case is any measure, it doesn’t take much. No real motive, just a few drinks too many. Treat complainants with respect but don’t blindly believe what they tell you without further and full investigation, without fear or favour. Treat the accused with respect too. They haven’t been found guilty of anything yet and they might equally be the completely innocent victim Do you really need to arrest someone before you have any substantiated evidence? For the Criminal Justice System False accusations should be taken far more seriously than they are. There should be a named offence of ‘Falsely Accusing an Innocent Person’. The falsely accused is the victim of this crime, not the police, nor the Justice system, and the impact of being falsely accused is every bit as devastating as rape itself. But until the Justice System realises the truth of this, more innocent people will be falsely accused, treated as the culprit from the instant of the accusation by the police, and if they weren’t as wise or as fortunate as Mr. Ullah in having exculpatory evidence, they may well end up in prison and spend the rest of their days on the sex-offender register.


L I E S
I feel like I am fading out, like my life is now behind me
Dark, blinding thoughts take over my mind, an end to this madness is so hard to find
Go to sleep, nightmares burst my head, every day I feel I am waking up dead
No light at the end of this long, dark tunnel, stuck deep in this evil land
I wish I was back in ’69, a little baby boy in my pram
She got me put in jail cause I wanted to do the right thing and be a dad to my two lovely sons
And now those two little lovely boys won't know that I love them tons
Will I live to live again, or will this evil take it all?
Lies destroy, lies you down, lies can make you fall
Lies can damage, lies can hurt, lies can drag you through the dirt
Lies mess up lives, lies break many hearts, lies tear you into a million parts
I'm sick of being pushed around by a system that doesn’t care
Judge for crimes I didn't commit with a trial that was unfair
Innocent men are being put in jail; it's all just part of their plan
If you look at the bigger picture, you’ll see a political money-making scam
Stuck on the dark side of the fence, forgotten about, and abused
No way out of this one-way hell, cause nobody wants the truth
This broken justice system knows exactly what's going on
Using innocent men to get the stats up, it’s all just a massive con
One day, these liars will get their day, as it all comes crashing down
Then we’ll be the ones with a smile on our face; they’ll be the ones who drown
I will follow dreams of hope, not lies that make me choke
Hoping that my futures bright, no more will I be a joke
I hope these liars choke on their lies and swallow all their greed
They live alone in misery, after all, they did plant the seed
Lies destroy and lies can kill; lies can be a bitter suicide pill
Those lies were cruel, those lies were bad, and all cause I wanted to be a dad!
Another sad story ends. Please take care of my innocent friends.
BJA FACTnews - Vol 15.2 - Autumn 2025

BETTINA
ARNDT
Shamed Scottish Judges- Exposed for unfair application of rape shield laws
Australian Writer & Commentator

Scotland judges were doing well in this macabre race to the bottom, but now they have suffered a setback. A UK Supreme Court has warned that Scottish courts are violating a defendant’s right to a fair trial. Scottish lawyers are claiming this could mean hundreds of men in prison will be lining up for appeals or possible compensation for false imprisonment.
Across the world, feminist legal academics are bullying politicians and legislators into adopting new measures aimed at increasing rape convictions. The result, year after year, is justice systems increasingly tilted to favour accusers, undermining the right to a fair trial for men, and increasing the likelihood that innocent men will be convicted.
It isn’t so much the laws which have been at fault but the way Scottish judges are choosing to interpret them – namely by denying juries critical evidence that might have been used to exonerate the accused men.They have taken rape shield laws, designed to protect the accuser from humiliating questions about their sexual history or character, and used these to exclude evidence critical to an understanding of what actually happened between the two people.
A leading Scottish barrister, Thomas Ross KC, has been outspoken about what is going on there. He’s in a unique position to expose this injustice because, after handling over 100 rape cases, in 2022 he threw in the towel because he felt it was no longer possible to properly defend accused men. “I was just banging my head against a brick wall and getting nowhere.”
Ross decided he’d be better off walking away from this territory so he could speak publicly about what is going on.He’s now out there, describing in podcasts and interviews the ludicrous situation where defence lawyers have to submit all evidence they propose to use in court for approval prior to the trial. This includes all the questions they plan to ask, which is very useful, of course, for the complainant who has ample opportunity to adjust their own evidence to get their stories right.
Increasingly, questions the defence lawyers want to ask or evidence they wish to lead, are rejected by the court.
Put simply, men simply aren’t allowed to provide juries with relevant evidence critical to their defence.
Ross mentions a conversation with a father whose 18-year-old son was facing a rape trial. “The dad was looking at me as if to say, ‘What kind of lawyer are you? T
This is my boy; he’s going to jail. He’s going in the sex offenders register. He is never going to get a job. I want this evidence laid out and you’re telling me you’re not going to be allowed to read it. That’s on you. This is your fault. If you’re the kind of lawyer that cannot get this evidence in, then you are clearly not up to it.”
“I just couldn’t do it anymore,” said Ross. Many other lawyers agree with Ross that the situation has become intolerable, which is why the Law Society of Scotland sought leave to intervene in the UK Supreme Court case arguing men aren’t getting the fair trials required by Article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
And now, the UK Supreme Court, led by the most senior judge in the country, has agreed there is something very wrong in the way these trials have been conducted.
For other reasons, the UK judges unfortunately still sent to prison the two men who were the subjects of the appeal. One of these was Andrew Keir, who was sentenced to five years in prison for raping a drunk and sleeping woman at his home. But evidence withheld from the jury included CCTV footage showing an earlier drinking session at the pub where the woman, a work colleague of Keir, kissed him, and beckoned him into a disabled toilet. When they emerged, the couple were thrown out of the pub as it was assumed they had been having sex. Yet the CCTV footage was cut by the prosecutors to exclude all evidence of this earlier sexual contact. There was a text message from Keir saying, “We went back and continued to have sex that we’d obviously had previously.” This was doctored to read “We… have sex,” as if it referred only to the alleged rape at Keir’s house. So here we have a justice system falsifying statements, doctoring CCTV footage and tampering with the evidence, rewriting the history of what happened that evening to suit the complainant’s story. “It’s not justice. It’s shameful that it took five Justices in London to tell our judges how to do their job,” says Ross. Scottish academic Stuart Waiton, writing about this in The Spectator, describes the case as one of the most egregious examples of miscarriage of justice he has ever seen. The other case dealt with by the UK Supreme Court involved David Daly, a man found guilty of historic child abuse. Excluded from the evidence presented to the jury was the fact that the complainant told police that the rape led to her getting pregnant and having a child – a claim which was found to be untrue. The defence was not allowed to question her about this fake pregnancy because it was not deemed relevant to the rape case. So, a bald lie used by an accuser to bolster her case is not relevant? Early last year I wrote about Marc Catelli, a Sydney gelato salesman who was accused of sexual assault by a woman who had made similar accusations about two other men in the previous two years. He was facing a jury trial where the defence team was prohibited from mentioning these false allegations under NSW rape shield laws. Luckily Catelli’s case was dropped – but only because the complainant failed to show up for various hearings. NSW is the only Australian state/territory which prohibits evidence of previous false allegations. The state seems determined to remain a prime mover when it comes to ever more draconian rape laws. In 2022 NSW led recent moves to introduce affirmative or enthusiastic consent laws, which are proving very successful at having more men sent to prison. Two weeks ago a man’s post appeared on Reddit, warning men in Australia to learn from his mistakes. Here was a man who had just been released after serving a 2.9-year prison sentence for having sex without affirmative consent. His “victim” was a 43-year-old female he’d met on Tinder – he was 47 at the time. He invited her to his house, asking her on the phone to come over for sex “without strings.” “The one-night stand was nothing out of the ordinary. Lots of kissing, touching, normal sex. I grew up in an era of “No Means No”. My victim never said “No” nor did she push me off,” he wrote, explaining he assumed “everything was good,” from the woman’s positive reaction at the time. But he’s since learnt that wasn’t good enough – he needed to check he had “positive and enthusiastic consent”. That became very clear the next day, when a squad of six police officers came to his flat, unannounced: “busted down the door with a battering ram that cost me $5,000 to repair, and took evidence – sheets, condoms, clothes, etc.” “I was on remand in jail for close to a year, negotiating with the Department of Public Prosecutions and waiting for my trial, in horrible, smelly old jails full of roaches and scummy people. No fun at all.” At his trial he was lucky to escape with a sentence of only 2.9 years non-parole, 4.5 years in total. His advice to other men – record everything and constantly check your partner is ok with everything you do. (Secret recording is not illegal unless it is played to a third party and can even legally be used in court to disprove evidence given against you.) Since discovering the Reddit post I tracked down the shattered man – now facing the prospect that he will never again get a job in the banking industry which previously employed him. But putting his ordeal in perspective was the fact that while he was in prison his five-year-old son (from a previous relationship) was with his grandfather on the day of the Bondi Massacre. His brave grandfather used his body to successfully shelter the boy from the bullets. Meanwhile, the feminist quest to destroy the lives of men continues unabated. Many other Australian states have now joined NSW in legislating affirmative consent – Victoria, Queensland and the ACT (Tasmania has similar laws dating back to 2004). The ACT is going great guns. A recent report in The Canberra Times claimed there were at least 20 times as many sexual offence charges laid in the last quarter of 2024 compared to five years earlier – and that their new affirmative consent laws were contributing to this success. A few days later came the embarrassing retraction. The Justice and Community Safety Directorate had erred– new statistics showed only 3.5 times more charges in 2023 than 2020. Who knows what’s really going on here, but local ACT lawyers report that the current policy is that ALL sexual assault cases are shoved through to trial. No investigation is needed. Let the court decide. And no one gives a hoot about the impact on accused men. Look what happened in NSW when the DPP Sally Dowling called an audit of sexual assault cases after seven District Court judges had criticised meritless cases being pushed through to court. The result was a whitewash, finding 97% of cases complied with the guidelines, and only 17 cases being discontinued. Meanwhile, our jails are full of accused men who haven’t even had a trial. Two years ago I reported that 42% of the men in prison in NSW are on remand – they haven’t faced trial. Most of these are sexual assault or domestic violence cases. But, at least in Australia, rape shield requirements have not yet reached the absurdities exposed in Scotland. Although evidence or questions about a complainant’s sexual history/behaviour may be excluded, we don’t have the mandatory pre-approval processes seen in Scotland. Not yet. Note that the recent Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry looking at judicial responses to sexual violence – which released its recommendations a year ago - proposed “ground rules” hearings pre-trial which would set us on a similar path to what is happening in Scotland. And in Canada. The crippling effects of Canadian pre-trial hearings is a regular topic on the excellent YouTube video series, Not on Record – which features criminal lawyer Joseph Neuberger and legal researcher Diana Davison, long known for her work supporting wrongfully accused men. Davison explains that Canadian defence lawyers are not allowed to talk about anything of a sexual nature unless it is approved in a pretrial motion, nor can they discuss consensual sex that proceeded or followed the alleged rape. The fact the complainant gets to see all the defence evidence and questions in advance means her evidence can be tailored and sanitized. Neuberger recently won a recent case involving a 19-year-old student who was accused of sexual assault and violence against another student. In dismissing all charges, the judge noted that the girl had tailored her evidence after learning how the defence team planned to shoot down her claims. The judge ended up apologising to the accused: “On behalf of the administration of justice for the Province of Ontario, I wish to apologize for the significant inconvenience and expense to which you have been subjected, as a result of these proceedings”. Across the world, wrongfully accused men deserve similar apologies. Of course, if the police and prosecution did their jobs fairly in the first place, such cases would never reach court. But the misandrist culture we are in makes this increasingly unlikely. Our police and prosecutors are clearly cowed by the feminist-dominated media, academia and politicians. It makes it all the more important to spread the word about this momentous UK Supreme Court case – which has exposed the injustice now so widespread.
Join us in London EACH YEAR on 9th September outside the Royal Courts of Justice 2pm - 4pm to highlight the devastating impact from false allegations from fraud to workplace misconduct causing financial loss, reputational damage and emotional trauma
Children may experience anxiety, fear and confusion when a parent is falsely accused. The stress can contribute to long-term mental health issues like depression, particularly when a parent is imprisoned
9th September is International Falsely Accused Day. It is intended to raise awareness of just how easy it is to fall victim to a false accusation
In recent years, great efforts have rightly been made to encourage victims of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence to report allegations to the police. The "believe the victim" mantra (an idea advocated by Sir Keir Starmer as Director of Public Prosecutions) - was designed to give victims of sexual assault the confidence to come forward and seek justice.
However, there is now growing concern that this shift towards an increasingly victim-centred criminal justice system is placing "Due Process" under threat. This is the fundamental principle that ensures fair treatment under the law. It includes the right to a Fair Trial, the Presumption of Innocence Until Proven Guilty (enshrined in the Magna Carta) and the right to confront one's accuser.
With the erosion of trust in the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), miscarriages of justice are inevitable. These allegations vary in nature and scope and may relate to rape; theft; fraud (often in the workplace or family conflicts); murder and domestic abuse (e.g to gain custody of children in a divorce case).
FALSE ALLEGATIONS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE
If you or a member of your family or a friend have been falsely accused,
International Falsely Accused Day offers you the chance to have your voice heard. Please join us in London outside the Royal Courts of Justice on 9th September from 2pm - 4pm

Falsely Accused Network
Support, Legal Help and Community for the Falsely Accused
Falsely Accused Network exists to support anyone in England and Wales who has been falsely accused of domestic abuse.
Whether you’ve been arrested, served with a non-molestation order, or dragged through the family or criminal courts on false claims, we are here for you.
Our mission is simple: make sure you’re not alone, get you the right legal support, and provide a secure space to be heard and understood.
What We Do:
1. Legal Referrals
We connect you with trusted, experienced solicitors and McKenzie Friends who specialise in false allegation cases. Whether you're facing family court proceedings, defending against a criminal charge, or both, we refer you to professionals who understand the stakes and know how to fight your corner.
2. Mental Health Support
False allegations can destroy your mental health. Many people we speak to are depressed, anxious or even suicidal. We take that seriously. We’re not therapists, but we can connect you with qualified counsellors and coaches who work specifically with men and women who’ve been falsely accused.
3. Peer Support Group
We run a secure and structured online support group for people going through this nightmare. It’s a private space, not open to the public, with clear rules and moderation. Members share experiences, legal tips, and emotional support. It's not therapy, but it's powerful.
4. Helpline
You can call us directly. We listen, we believe you, and we guide you. Whether you’re in crisis or just need to talk through your next steps, we’re here. You’ll never get a script or a call handler who doesn’t understand – we’ve lived it.
5. Public Awareness and Advocacy
We’re raising awareness about false allegations and the damage they cause.
We’re pushing for change in the legal system, supporting research, and building an alliance of professionals who care.
We host events, produce media content and give the falsely accused a voice.
Why People Trust Us
We only refer to people we trust and have vetted. We don’t take shortcuts or give false hope. We’re independent – not tied to any political or religious agenda. We’re survivors ourselves – we know how it feels.
Get in Touch📞 Call us: 0204 538 8788
🌐 Visit: www.falselyaccusednetwork.co.uk📧
Email: info@falselyaccusednetwork.co.uk
If you’ve been falsely accused of domestic abuse, don’t sit in silence. Don’t wait for it to get worse. Contact us today. We’ll help you take the first step towards clearing your name and rebuilding your life.

FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF ABUSE
This graph shows results from a recent survey that asked nationally representative samples of men and women in Argentina, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States if they have ever been falsely accused of abuse.
Key Points
In each of the four countries surveyed, a greater percentage of men (6-18%) than women (2-7%) stated that they have been falsely accused of abuse at some point in their lives.
Australia had the highest prevalence of false accusations of abuse, with 18% of men and 9% of women saying that they have been falsely accused of abuse.
The United Kingdom had the lowest prevalence of false accusations of abuse, with 6% of men and 2% of women saying that they have been falsely accused of abuse.
When the prevalence of false accusations is considered in the context of the total adult populations of these four countries, the number of falsely accused persons is estimated to be 3.4 million in Argentina, 3.5 million in Australia, 2.1 million in the United Kingdom, and 20.6 million in the United States.

When the prevalence of false accusations is considered in the context of the total adult populations of these four countries, the number of falsely accused persons is estimated to be 3.4 million in Argentina, 3.5 million in Australia, 2.1 million in the United Kingdom, and 20.6 million in the United States.

POST OFFICE scandal choir Hear Our Voice show off "GIGANTIC" vocals - Britains Got Talent 2025 - The Final
OUR STORY
Post Office victims have a voice - and talent! Victims of the "Horizon" Post Office scandal have turned to music to help get their message across."Hear Our Voice" - which is made up of 39 people all affected by the scandal - even made it to the finals of the popular ITV show Britain's Got Talent in June this year. The choir's performance was at the most recent appearance on Britain's Got Talent, "Hear Our Voice" received a standing ovation from the audience, David Walker, the Bishop of Manchester, referred to the choir's appearance on the show as an opportunity to broadcast the group's "continuing fight for justice" and "rebuild shattered confidence. He was speaking on Radio 4's Thought for the Day where he also mentioned the Arena terrorist attack in Manchester and the hazards faced by soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in the same breath as the Post Office victims.
Members of the group only performed together for the first time when they appeared on an earlier episode of Britain's Got Talent. Their previous practice sessions had been via Zoom calls, as members of the choir come from all over the country. The choir is led by Mark Wildblood.
Their charity single will help colleagues and their children with many still seeking compensation.
The Horizon scandal is far from over, with former Post Office staff still trying to settle compensation claims. According to the BBC, more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted for theft and false accounting due to errors in the Post Office's fault computer system. Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office took 700 cases to court with other authorities including the Crown Prosecution Service prosecuting a further 283 people.
The BBC goes on to report that many sub-postmasters were imprisoned and financially ruined, but over the subsequent years, the systemic problems with the IT system and a cover-up by the Post Office came to light.
More recently, even as one of the victims was receiving an OBE from Buckingham Palace, she decried the scandal which she said had left 138 former sub-postmasters still fighting for compensation.
Jo Hamilton accepted a settlement after she was falsely prosecuted in 2006 for an alleged shortfall of £36,000. Following her recent OBE award, she described to the BBC the current situation of many others are "wicked".
Falsely Accused Day
9th September 2025
Held outside the Royal Courts of Justice, the day went well and a good crowd managed to get there despite the tube trains being on strike! There were six speakers:- Christopher Logan for the Butterfly Group supporting Lucy Letby, Mike Thompson of Falsely Accused Network supporting the falsely accused, Krista Brown telling her story of being chased by the HMRC for several years, Tom Toolan who had his daughter Rhian taken from him by his wife and mother of the child and absconded to Poland, Brian Buckle who had been exonerated for several counts of sexual abuse and is calling to be compensated for his 5.5 years in prison and Dr Michael Naughton, Founder and Director of Empower the Innocent, and has been constructive in helping overturn wrongful convictions. The day was a great success!










BANKSY'S WORK OF ART ON ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE BUILDING

The artwork, which appears to show a judge using his gavel to strike a protester who is lying on the ground holding a placard, is on an external wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex, and appears to reference the recent use of the law to crack down on protesters.
WORKERS INSTALLING THE METAL BARRIER OVER THE ARTWORK
My Story

The Met Police said on Monday that the artwork had been reported as criminal damage.
The court service confirmed that it is legally obliged to maintain the character of the building because of its listed status.
After the artwork appeared, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “On Monday September 8, officers received a report of criminal damage to the side of the Royal Courts of Justice.
7 YEARS - ZERO EVIDENCE
and a
LIFETIME OF IMPACT
by The Secret Defendant
"For seven relentless years, I was dragged through the UK legal system - not as the one who caused harm, but as the one accused.
I was the defendant in a case built on lies, misrepresentation, and a level of systemic failure that bordered on corruption. I was fighting not just for my name, but for my life - and the system did everything it could to break me before it admitted the truth.
From the moment I was arrested in a dawn raid & wrongly placed on RUI (Released Under Investigation), I lived in a suspended state - no charges, no closure, no clarity. Just endless waiting. Years of my life lost in limbo, unable to plan, progress, or properly live. And when the case finally reached court, it became a different kind of battle - a painfully slow, grinding war of attrition where justice seemed like an afterthought and incompetence was the norm.
The journey through the court system was relentless. To prove my innocence, I worked side by side with my legal team - for hours, on evenings after work, weekends, whenever it took. I read every word of every file, cross-referenced every statement, checked every detail. Nothing was too small. Everything mattered. Because I knew what was at stake: me. I was at stake.
The weight of that responsibility was enormous. While others treated it like paperwork, I was fighting for the truth of my life. My name. My story. My right to exist without the stain of a lie someone else had created.
All the while, the system continued to protect itself.
Clear serious misconduct ignored. Processes manipulated. At times it felt like the people tasked with uncovering the truth were more invested in avoiding embarrassment than in achieving justice. I wasn’t just fighting false allegations - I was fighting a culture of cover-ups. I felt like I was silently screaming & drowning - no one could hear me - until I joined Twitter/X.
The impact on my life is beyond measure. No words can articulate the immensity of the impact. My health, my career, my relationships - they all suffered. The emotional & mental health toll profound. And yet, I kept going. Because I had no choice. Because I was incensed. Because I knew the truth - and I absolutely refused to let them bury it.
Eventually, 7 years later, I was vindicated. I also received a formal apology from the CPS - in which every element of my formal complaint was upheld. I won - but not because the system delivered justice, but because I forced it to.
Now, I carry no shame. I carry strength. I carry a story that I hope speaks to others still trapped in the same system.
Truth isn’t optional. Nor is justice.
Truth matters - Justice matters


Concerns over Dame Vera Baird's CCRC appointment
by Anna Doherty

BRIAN BUCKLE CLEARED OF HISTORICAL SEX CHARGES

A jury at Swansea Crown Court found Brian Buckle Not Guilty of the offences after the original convictions were quashed and a retrial was ordered.
A Pembrokeshire man has been acquitted of historical sex offences against a child after a retrial.
Brian Buckle, 51 of Fishguard had been jailed in 2017 at Swansea Crown Court on 12 charges of indecent assault, three of indecency and one of attempted rape, but he was acquitted at the same court after the convictions were quashed.
The retrial was ordered by the Court Appeal.
He had been accused of carrying out the offences in the 1990's.
Following a two-week retrial, the jury returned a Not Guilty verdict on all 16 charges
ANDY MALKINSON WAS THE SCAPEGOAT - NOT Helen Pitcher (as she claims!)
Helen Pitcher told the Times she had been "made a scapegoat"
Malkinson 'vindicated' after review body chair quits

A man who spent 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit has said he feels "vindicated" by the resignation of the chair of the miscarriages of justice review body. Helen Pitcher had been heavily criticised for the failings of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in relation to Andy Malkinson's case. Ms Pitcher told the Times she had been made a scapegoat but Mr Malkinson said she had been "made accountable".
"She's been complaining that she's been made a scapegoat but I was made a scapegoat, she has been made accountable and I feel vindicated," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Last summer, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood began the formal process of sending a recommendation to the King that Ms Pitcher should go after personally concluding that she was not fit to head the CCRC.
That decision came after a damning independent report , into how the CCRC had mishandled Mr Malkinson's pleas for help, and how the chair herself had presented its work on his case.While he was in jail, the CCRC twice rejected Mr Malkinson's submissions that he was innocent. The second of those rejections came after Ms Pitcher had become chair in 2018.
"Patently untrue". He was only cleared in 2023 after exhaustive work by his own legal team tracked down the long-available DNA evidence that showed another man must have committed the rape in 2003.
The first of two independent reviews - commissioned by the CCRC itself - found that the body had failed to complete basic work that could have cast doubt on Mr Malkinson's conviction.
It said Mrs Pitcher's statements as chair had not properly reflected these failings. Ms Pitcher told the Times that she was not in charge the first time Mr Malkinson's appeal was rejected and that he was released "on her watch" armed with new DNA evidence that the CCRC uncovered Mr Malkinson was released.
Mr Malkinson told the Today programme this was not true and that APPEAL, a charity and law firm that challenges wrongful convictions, was the one that uncovered the DNA evidence.
"APPEAL did all the work that Ms Pitcher has claimed credit for," he said."This has made people quite angry and I feel quite emotional about it. "It's patently untrue that CCRC did all the work to set me free - it was APPEAL that set me free."
SUING THE POST OFFICE AND FUJITSU TO CLEAR MY NAME - LEE CASTLETON
A former sub-postmaster and a central figure in the Horizon scandal is the first individual to sue both the Post Office and Fujitsu for their role in proceedings brought against him.
Lee Castleton, who ran a branch in Bridlington, was subject to a High Court judgment in 2007 by the Post Office, which claimed that he had lost more than £25,000. The Post Office pursued him for this money and incurred more than £300,000 costs, leaving Castleton, a litigant in person, bankrupt and homeless.
The missing funds were in fact due to ‘balancing errors’ and bugs in the Horizon system. Castleton has instructed London firm Simons Muirhead Burton to pursue the Post Office and Fujitsu over the information they disclosed.
In his legal action, Castleton will say that the Post Office (conspiring with others) obtained its judgment against him by fraud by withholding evidence of the unreliability of the Horizon system.

It had a devastating long-term impact on his own and his family’s health.‘Mr Castleton has issued proceedings to seek public vindication by the judgment of the court that a great injustice and wrong was intentionally done to him and to his family by the Post Office and others.
That is a public vindication that only the court can give.’
His solicitor Simon Goldberg said: ‘The 2007 judgment destroyed his business, his livelihood, and his reputation in his community, and it resulted in his bankruptcy.



