If you are dealing with false accusations or you are in a situation where you might be getting accused of things that you haven’t done – you might be asking yourself how to deal with false accusations. Generally, it is in your best interest to take a step back and understand that broadly, what we are referring to when we say “false accusations” has two different contexts.
The first is a criminal context where someone might be making false accusations of having committed a crime, and perhaps they have reported the crime to the police. The second is a civil context.
Don’t Respond To Accusations On Social Media
Your accuser might be smearing you online or out in the public. Now, speaking of online smear campaigns, you might be naturally inclined to respond to your accusers and argue with them. But we strongly advise you against it because whatever you post online or use social media platforms to vent, anything that you say can be used against you.
Get An Attorney Right Away
If you are facing an accusation of a criminal context, you need to hire an attorney right away. If you are a student, you are accused of a sexual offense, and you know it was consensual – then instead of arguing with the accuser, get yourself a Title IX attorney right away.
Of course, you know that you are innocent and that you haven’t done anything wrong, but you cannot possibly navigate it and expect to talk to the police and deal with the investigation without help.
Avoid Talking To The Police
You should never talk to the police when you have pending criminal charges. Only talk to the police with an attorney by your side. If you speak to the police without having an attorney by your side, it will be disadvantageous to you, and it will serve you no purpose at all.
There are loads of dangers involved when it comes to talking to the police alone. So, it is in your best interest to have an attorney representing you wherever and whenever necessary.
Always Understand The Context
Now, if you are in a situation where you are accused of something that you did not do, the first thing that you should do is understand the context of the false accusations. Once you know the context, you will be in a better position to judge whether or not you need to fight back against the accusations.
You will want to get a holistic point of view on what is going on.
Know That The Truth Is On Your Side
If the allegations are false, you should know that the truth is on your side and that you can prove your innocence with the help of an attorney. If someone is smearing you in public or on social media, you don’t need to stoop low to their level and respond to everything that comes your way.
The worst thing that you can do is to make false accusations back to the other person. With the false accusations, your truth and your side of the story will ultimately come out, and your innocence will be proved.
Do Not Apologize
Now, you might be in a situation where you might feel guilty about how you made a certain person, who is the accuser, feel, as they might be accusing you of misconduct about things that you didn’t know were misconduct.
For instance, if you have been on a date and you had a great time with the person, you might receive a call from them after a few days where they might berate you for making them feel bad to the point of sexual misconduct. The worst you can do in such a situation is to apologize, caused by guilt-tripping and empathy.
On that note – if you face an accusation, you should make it a rule not to engage with the accuser in any form. Do not respond to their calls, emails, or messages. Why, you might ask? Well, because whatever you will say can and will be used against you later in court.
The best thing that you can do is to only talk to your lawyer and let them guide you about the next steps.
Maintain Evidence
Another thing that you should know is that if you have been accused of a crime that you did not commit – you must preserve evidence, which can exist in the following forms:
- Videos
- Photos
- Emails
- Messages
- Voice messages
- Calls
Do not delete any of these pieces of evidence, as they will help your lawyer strengthen your position in the case. Also, no matter what, don’t make the mistake of being alone with the accuser. Protect yourself from being alone with the accuser in the future – or – if you have to be alone with them, carry some sort of recorded device with you so they cannot continue to make false accusations against you.
Only Communicate With Your Attorney
We cannot stress enough the importance of hiring an attorney right away. Once you have an experienced attorney by your side, you need to make sure that all communication is done through the attorney. By doing so, you can avoid any possibility of the accusers misconstruing or taking your words out of context.
Now, if you don’t have an attorney, make sure that your only means of communication is through writing. Also, if you are sending a message or an email, you have to think at least three times to ensure that this is exactly what you need to say.
Final Thoughts
Getting accused of something that you didn’t do can be incredibly challenging. However, you should know that life comes with good and bad experiences. So, instead of alienating yourself and feeling lonely, make sure to keep your support system close. Also, you might have been incredibly close to the accuser if they were a romantic partner – and now you are seeing who they are as an actual person or the person behind the mask. Nonetheless – keep in mind that the lawyer will protect your rights and ensure that the truth remains on your side.
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