British priest discusses false abuse accusation
May 19, 2011
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A British parish priest falsely accused of sexual abuse has reflected on the experience in an interview with a local newspaper.
Father Geoff Hilton, a former policeman who serves as a parish priest in Lancashire, said that he was “bewildered and confused” when he was arrested and fingerprinted last November and that “being removed from work and friends and family” to another location was particularly difficult.
“There is no point in being bitter about it, because that does nobody any service at all.”
Police will not charge the person who lodged the false accusation.
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Posted by: AgnesDay -
May. 20, 2011 4:55 PM ET USA
In most places in the US, filing a false police report is a misdemeanor. What is the law in the UK?
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Posted by: stpetric -
May. 20, 2011 9:49 AM ET USA
What? Are there to be no consequences to disrupting an innocent man's life and defaming his good name?
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Posted by: -
May. 19, 2011 9:10 PM ET USA
The falsifier should be prosecuted.
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Posted by: -
May. 19, 2011 6:48 PM ET USA
My question is why the accuser is not being prosecuted by the police as aggressively as a priest accused of sexual abuse. Two standards at play here. Sorry about whatever mental problems the person may have, they falsely accused a priest. I'll bet the accusation is still formally in his file. It should be expunged.
