Jay Cheshire was cleared of rape in June. Allegations made against the 17-year old were withdrawn by the complainant just weeks after being filed, resulting in the investigation being closed. Yet, two weeks after the teenager was acquitted of the charge - and with his adult life still ahead of him - Jay was discovered hanging from a tree in his local park.
According to coroner Grahame Short, Jay was a sensitive young man who had "found it difficult to cope with the police investigation" - a conclusion reiterated by the boy's mum, Karin, who said of the accuser: "She accused him of rape and said he was a sexual offender. He was absolutely distraught."
To prosecute an individual for rape - or indeed sexual harassment of any type - is notoriously difficult. However, since the tragic events surrounding the death of Jay Cheshire, those opposed to the current laws and practices concerning sexual harassment have become increasingly active in voicing their criticism of the system.
James* was falsely accused of rape three ago. Like Jay, his life fell apart, but, amidst his broken family and shattered social life, James managed to find solace by creating accused.me.uk, a forum for victims of false accusations to share stories and lend each other support.
"You will almost certainly feel that the police believe that you're guilty before trial"ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbHLnp6rmaCde6S7ja6iaKWVo3y1tMinoqKml2K6orqOamhyaWJsgXl7pq6gpaypYsKvwMilZKmqn6uyr3nIp6Wom5WjwW64yJ%2BcZpmWqbKzecBmnZqko5p6s63PnmSam5OqwKLAyKilZ6Ckork%3D