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Thomas Wright, aged only 22, was a philosophy student who was accused of rape. The stress of the accusation is said to have led to him leaving university and eventually killing himself. He’d had a conversation with his grandfather the same day he took his own life and said that he was “100 per cent adamant” that the sex was consensual.
Apparently he had been told “not to worry, she has done this before”, but the stress was too much for him and tragically, he took his mother’s ashes with him to a beauty spot where he killed himself.
Almost everyone who has been accused of sexual assault will be subject to unbelievable stress whether or not they are innocent. Although suicide risk is assessed when a defendant is arrested, there will be no official follow up in the many months or even years while they are awaiting a charging decision or trial. It is vital that anyone in this situation has someone to talk to and be with them through their ordeal.
FACT will offer support to those who are innocent, and other charities that can offer support are listed below. Our members have said that being able to talk to someone is a lifesaver, but despite maintaining innocence, some still feel too embarrassed and ashamed to share their pain with anyone.
The message is, talk to somebody that you can trust, and don’t delay contacting us at FACT.
Helpful Organizations
- Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk
- HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
See Also
The Suffering of the Wrongly Accused
