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Falsely Accused of a Sexual Offence

If you have been accused of a sexual offence that you strongly deny, obtaining legal advice at an early stage can help protect your position. At Draycott Browne, we defend individuals who maintain that allegations of rape, sexual assault or other sexual offences made against them are false.

An allegation can have serious consequences for your reputation, relationships and professional life even before a decision is made about whether charges will be brought. A police investigation may involve interviews and the examination of messages, phone records, online activity and other evidence connected with the allegation.

Where an allegation is disputed, the circumstances surrounding the complaint and the evidence supporting each account can be central to the case. Our solicitors will carefully consider the evidence and advise you on how to respond from the earliest stage of an investigation.

With over 25 years of experience defending sexual offence allegations, Draycott Browne represents clients nationwide in serious and sensitive cases. We provide clear strategic advice and robust representation throughout an investigation and any court proceedings that follow.

If you have been contacted by the police or believe an allegation may have been made against you, contact Draycott Browne today for confidential advice and representation.

How We Will Help You

If you maintain that you have been falsely accused of a sexual offence, our first priority is to understand exactly what has been alleged and advise you on how to respond. We can represent you before and during a police interview, helping you avoid decisions at an early stage that could later damage your position.

We will look beyond the allegation itself and establish what material may support your defence. This could include messages, phone data, photographs, location information, social media activity or witness evidence.

Where appropriate, we can investigate inconsistencies in the account being given and obtain relevant records that provide further context. In historical cases, this may involve examining material from the period in question and identifying information that has been overlooked during the investigation.

Our aim is to intervene as early as possible. If there is material that undermines the allegation or raises significant questions about the case, we can present this to the police or Crown Prosecution Service and make representations that you should not be charged.

If the case does proceed to court, we will use the work already undertaken to prepare your defence, challenge the prosecution case and ensure that your account is properly presented.

We will keep you informed and explain what you can expect at each stage. When you instruct Draycott Browne, you will have:

 

  • Access to legal advice 24 hours a day
  • Over 25 years of criminal defence experience
  • Representation from investigation through to court

If you need advice about an allegation, speak to us as early as possible. Call the number at the top of this page or complete our enquiry form to request a confidential call back from our team.

Speak to an expert

Our legal team is available 7 days a week

Criminal Defence Expertise for Sexual Offences

Dedicated expertise for defending all allegations of sexual offences.

Child Grooming Offences
Child Sexual Offences
Deepfake Porn Offences
False Sexual Allegations
Grooming Gangs
Historical Sexual Offences
Indecent Exposure
Indecent Images
Rape & Attempted Rape Cases
Revenge Porn
Sexual Assaults
Sexual Risk Orders

Our Experienced Sexual Offence Team

Shaun Draycott

Shaun Draycott

Managing Director & Serious Crime Solicitor
Rob Mann

Rob Mann

Director & Serious Crime Solicitor
Venessa Schweitzer

Venessa Schweitzer

Consultant Litigator
Caitlin Cardwell

Caitlin Cardwell

Crown Court Litigator
Meet the Team

How Can a False Sexual Allegation Be Challenged?

Where you maintain that a sexual allegation is false, the account should be examined alongside all of the available evidence. The aim is to identify material that supports your position or raises questions about the allegation being made.

Depending on the circumstances, this may involve:

  • Examining messages between you and the complainant
  • Building a clear timeline of relevant events
  • Reviewing phone records and location information
  • Identifying witnesses who can provide relevant evidence
  • Examining photographs and social media activity
  • Investigating significant inconsistencies within the allegation
  • Comparing the account with other available evidence
  • Obtaining relevant historical records where appropriate

Some cases involve competing accounts with little independent evidence of what took place. In these circumstances, the detail and context surrounding the allegation can become particularly important.

If material is identified that significantly undermines the allegation, it may be possible to raise this during the investigation and make representations against charge. If proceedings have already begun, it can form an important part of challenging the prosecution case in court.

What Happens If a False Allegation Is Made Deliberately?

There is an important difference between an allegation that cannot be proved and one that has been deliberately fabricated. A decision not to charge someone, an acquittal or the withdrawal of an allegation does not by itself establish that the original complaint was false.

Where there is evidence that someone knowingly made a false allegation to the police, however, their conduct may itself be investigated. Depending on the circumstances and seriousness of what occurred, potential offences can include wasting police time or perverting the course of justice.

The Crown Prosecution Service treats these cases with particular care. Prosecutors must consider whether there is sufficient evidence that the original allegation was false and examine the circumstances in which it was made or later withdrawn. Prosecutions arising from allegedly false allegations of rape or other sexual offences are described by the CPS as extremely rare.

If evidence emerges during your case that suggests an allegation was deliberately fabricated, we can advise you on its significance to your defence and the appropriate steps to take. Your immediate priority should remain protecting your position in relation to the allegation made against you.

Can You Appeal a Sexual Offence Conviction?

If you have been convicted of a sexual offence but maintain that the allegation against you was false, it may be possible to challenge the conviction through the appeal process. The appropriate route will depend on where you were convicted and what has happened in your case since.

For Crown Court convictions, an application can be made for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal. There are strict time limits, so obtaining advice quickly is important. An appeal may involve arguments about the safety of the conviction, including issues arising from evidence or decisions made during the original proceedings.

If the usual appeal process has already been exhausted, the Criminal Cases Review Commission may be able to review an alleged miscarriage of justice. The CCRC can consider new evidence or legal arguments and, where the relevant test is met, refer a conviction back to the appeal court.

Draycott Browne has experience successfully taking cases to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. We can review the original proceedings, examine any new evidence or information that has emerged and advise you on whether there may be grounds for challenging your conviction.

If you believe you have been wrongly convicted of a sexual offence, contact our team to discuss your case and the options available to you.

Specialist Sexual Offence Solicitors

  • 24/7 Availability
  • Proven Success in High Profile Cases
  • Non-Judgemental Representation Tailored to Your Situation

Protect your future with trusted, expert legal defence—contact Draycott Browne today.

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24 Hour Availability

Sexual offence allegations can arise without warning. You may be contacted by the police unexpectedly, asked to attend a voluntary interview or arrested and taken to a police station.

Draycott Browne is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide urgent legal advice and representation. If the police want to speak to you about an allegation, contact us before answering questions or attending an interview.

Funding Your Defence

Depending on your circumstances and the stage of your case, you may be eligible for financial support through the Legal Aid scheme. We can explain the funding options available to you when you first speak to us.

Private funding provides access to a more extensive level of service. This can be particularly valuable when defending a false sexual allegation, where identifying evidence outside the immediate police investigation may be important to your defence.

With greater flexibility, our team can devote additional time to examining messages, digital evidence, historical records and other relevant material. We can also pursue further lines of enquiry and instruct appropriate experts where their input could assist your case.

For serious sexual offence allegations, we recommend considering private funding where it is financially possible. It gives us greater scope to investigate your case thoroughly and identify material that may help challenge the allegation against you.

Speak to an expert

Our legal team is available 7 days a week

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Contact Draycott Browne Solicitors

If you have been accused of a sexual offence that you deny, obtaining legal advice at an early stage can help protect your position. Our sexual offence solicitors can advise you from the beginning of an investigation and represent you through any police interview or court proceedings that follow.

Based in Manchester, Draycott Browne represents clients across England and Wales, including London, Liverpool and Birmingham. We understand the sensitive nature of these allegations and provide confidential advice throughout your case.

Our team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call the number at the top of this page or complete our enquiry form to request a confidential call back.

Please Get in Touch

We are ready to assist.