What To Do If You Are Falsely Accused Of Sexual Harassment

False allegations can be depressing. Its effects become more devastating when the accusation is regarding sex crimes, misconduct that can severely harm your reputation and deny you many life-changing opportunities.

Each year, numerous sexual harassment cases occur worldwide. While most of these cases are true, some are false. Sexual harassment can sometimes be used as a weapon to exact revenge against certain individuals, ruin their lives, or smear their reputation.

If you were falsely accused of sexual harassment, you'd need to act fast to clear your name and find reliable legal council like the sexual assault attorney columbia sc. Here are some of the things you.

If you were falsely accused of sexual harassment, you'd need to act fast to clear your name. Here are some of the things you.

What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment isn’t only limited to inappropriate sexual behavior like touching an individual inappropriately, kissing, rubbing or caressing a person’s body, etc. You could be guilty of sexual harassment by simply staring at a lady or man in a sexually suggestive or offensive manner. In fact, you could sexually harass an individual by whistling.

Here is a simple definition of sexual harassment:

Sexual harassment is a type of misconduct that describes any activity, whether sexual or not, that happened without consent. Common types of sexual harassment are rape and sexual assault.

What is a False Allegation?

In sexual harassment investigations, there are lots of false allegations. These allegations occur when a complainant tables a complaint that didn't happen. A good example is a lady falsely accusing a guy of sexual harassment just to get back at him for turning down her advances.

If you were falsely accused of sexual harassment, you'd certainly want to pull all stops to vindicate yourself and clear your name. You can start by leveraging a sex crime attorney free consultation where you discuss your options.

Examples of Sexual Harassment

Common examples of sexual harassment are:

Gesturing, flirting, or making sexual comments about a person's body, clothing, or look
Asking invasive questions about one’s sexual life
Making sexual remarks or banters about a person’s sexual orientation or gender reassignment
Telling sexually offensive jokes
Touching, kissing, rubbing, or caressing an individual inappropriately or suggestively
Stalking an individual or paying excessive attention
Staring at an individual sexually
Purposely brushing up against someone
Asking for dates persistently despite being turned down by an individual

An individual who falsely accused you of sexual harassment will likely present one of these types of sexual violence. The individual may claim that you touched them inappropriately (even if you didn't) or looked at them sexually.

No matter the type of sexual harassment accusations against you, since you aren't guilty, you have nothing to fear. However, this doesn't mean you should relax. You need to act fast to vindicate yourself and save your reputation. Here are some things you should do:

1. Choose the right attorney to represent you:

Even if you are innocent of the sexual harassment allegations against you, you'll still need an attorney's help to prove that.

While searching for the ideal attorney to help you win the case, ensure that you narrow your search to attorneys that are experienced in solving your type of case. Don't hire attorneys with a track record of solving drug cases when dealing with something different.

A good way to hire the right attorney is by requesting their CV and finding out if he has handled cases like yours in the past.

2. Do a timeline:

To vindicate yourself of the false sexual harassment accusations, you'll need to provide strong evidence. A good way to pile up your evidence is by putting a timeline in writing. Begin from the first day down to the day the incident happened. Don't leave out any important detail, as it'll come in handy during your defense.

3. Start working on a witness list:

When accused of a crime you didn't commit, you'll definitely be eager to defend yourself. You often need more than your words to convince interested parties of your innocence. You'll need to gather reliable witnesses.

Write down their names, addresses, and phone number, including their employment and a little biography. Plus, add a little summary of what they can testify to. Did they see you somewhere else when the plaintiff or accuser said you committed the act? Write it down without leaving out any detail.

4. Be mindful of what you say.

Don't go about saying things that could jeopardize your case. You should also watch your actions. A little comment could make your case more difficult or ruin your chances of coming out victorious. Don't engage in a brawl with the accuser; you'll be shooting yourself in the foot if you do so.

Conclusion

Being wrongly accused of misconduct as vile as sexual harassment can push you over the edge. However, you shouldn't give up. One thing you should note about false accusations is that the truth will always prevail. You'll need to play your part for that to happen. And you need the help of an experienced sex crime attorney to navigate the situation and come out victorious.