Should anonymity law in rape trials be changed?

ON BAIL for two years and his university life halted, drama student Liam Allan, 22, saw rape charges against him dropped and the case dismissed when it was revealed the Met had failed to pass on evidence that cleared him (Mail). But while it seems incredible the case ever found its way to court, isn’t it even more astounding that the woman involved has not yet been charged with perverting the course of justice? The prosecution barrister who brought this injustice to light says ‘mistakes’ like this are all too common — in fact, a second prosecution collapsed this week due to an evidence blunder. With men carted off to prison on the flimsiest accusations of sexual harassment and rape, isn’t it time for the law to be changed? Women making false allegations should be punished instead of being allowed to disappear into anonymity. TONY EDWARDS, Ockham, Surrey.

PROTECT the identity of both the accuser and accused, and reporting restrictions should be imposed until a verdict is delivered. If the accused is judged not guilty, restrictions should stay in place. If convicted, their identity could be revealed, which could mean other alleged victims could come forward. False accusations should be treated as attempts to pervert the course of justice. As the law stands, even if the accused is acquitted, he still has to live with suspicion and doubt for the rest of his life. ST JOHN COX, Taunton, Somerset.

THERE is no justification in allowing anonymity when it’s proven a rape allegation was malicious. There must be legal retribution for lying in court. The scales of justice have tipped too far the other way. Name and address supplied.

WHILE the treatment of victims has thankfully been improved, there is now almost a presumption of ‘guilty until proved innocent’. The police’s role has always been to treat victim and suspect with dignity and take what they are told at face value. They then investigate to try to establish the facts and consider all available evidence. Unfortunately, the trendy mantra is to believe a supposed victim and prove the guilt of the accused. This is often driven by senior police managers who have more PC (politically correct) experience than PC (police constable) experience. DAVE ELKINS, Portsmouth.