Being accused of a sex crime is a very serious matter. In fact, any accusation of a sex crime can be life altering. Even if it’s clear that the accusation is untrue, it can still have lasting effects and cause serious damage. Sex crimes is a broad term that covers anything from sexual harassment in the workplace to rapes and molestation. Also included in this term is indecent exposure, solicitation, and prostitution amongst other crimes. Not one of these accusations is taken lightly and even if this is a first offence, the police and prosecution will try to prosecute someone to the fullest extent of the law because of how serious these accusations are. Even though there are varying sex crimes, the scandal of any crime can tarnish any reputation. Unfortunately, not every accusation is truthful, and accusers can have many reasons to lie. That’s why it’s so important to tackle any accusation head on to minimise its impact. However, to ensure this accusation gets put to bed and your name has been cleared, there are a few things you can do.
Hire a lawyer
The most important thing you can do is to hire an experienced criminal lawyer for sex assault and molestation accusations. In some cases, if you have been accused of a sex crime in the workplace, that may be dealt with internally but company lawyers, but for an accusation which has the police involved, hiring an independent lawyer is the best way forward. Some may think that hiring a lawyer insinuates that they may be guilty but that is not the case. With such a sensitive issue, it’s far better to have someone working on the case who knows exactly what they’re doing. Choosing the right criminal attorney can help you to understand the case you have found yourself in, and they will show you the best direction to move in. They can defend those who have been accused without offending the accuser and making the situation worse. An experienced lawyer can also delve deeper into the allegation and discover more about what their client is being accused of. Plus, an experienced lawyer will have worked on several sex crimes cases and will know the fullest extend of the law. A criminal lawyer can guide you on how to handle such a sensitive accusation without creating further damage. It is always better to hire an expert in these delicate matters instead of thinking of solving them on your own.
Stay away from the accuser
As any lawyer would tell you, you must stay away from the person who has accused you of a sex crime. If this sex crime happened at your place of work, your employer should make arrangements to keep both parties separated so that no one is to interfere with one another. If an employer fails to do so, under no circumstance should you approach your accuser and make any kind of comment or gesture. Even if you think you’re doing the right thing and trying to make the situation better, don’t. Any and all communication should be made via a lawyer. If this accusation happened outside of work, it’ll be far easier to avoid the accuser. In an ideal situation, you would go to work and then go home, you would avoid going on any unnecessary outings and keep a low profile. This is so you don’t damage your case in anyway. It’s common for those accused to want to go to a bar and let of some stream, after all, this is a very serious and stressful situation, but avoid doing this so that you don’t say something you’ll later regret. Even if you were to talk to a stranger, anything you say can be used against you. Keep your opinions to yourself and try to go about your normal life.
When accused of a sex crime, you must listen to the advice of your lawyer. If you don’t agree with the advice, ask for a second opinion. It’s likely a second lawyer would give you the same advice and then it’s clear that you need to follow it. Being accused of a sex crime creates an array of emotions which may cause someone to act out of character. Following the advice of a lawyer can minimise those actions and improve the outcome of any situation.
