The Plausibility of Being Wrongly Convicted for A Sexual Offence

Accounts from Former Prisoners

Abstract

The present article reports the findings from a study of ex-prisoners convicted for sexual offences but maintaining innocence (‘CMIs’). The research was focused on the impact of being wrongly accused of sexual abuse, for the convicted persons and their relatives. While the researchers obviously cannot vouch for their innocence, they refer to policy and legal developments in the UK, and in other countries, that might have increased the possibility of wrongful convictions for alleged sexual offences, particularly in the case of alleged historical (non-recent) cases. The dire experiences reported by participants, and the justifications for researching unexonerated former prisoners maintaining innocence, are discussed.