Scared by false allegations

I just got a letter from the ‘Independent Safeguarding Authority’. It’s a branch of the Home Office which investigates allegations of paedophilia or any other serious breaches of the Child Safety regulations.

They have the right to investigate anyone ‘referred’ to them via police, social services, employment, charities, for allegations of abuse of vulnerable children or adults. They wrote to say that they’d decided I shouldn’t be on their ‘Barred’ list, and that all investigations show that ‘It is not appropriate to include you in the Children’s Barred list and/or the Adults’ Barred list’.

I am, as is evident from my very clean record on my Enhanced Criminal Background Check, as clean as it’s possible to be. So big sigh of relief then, as I work as an advocate for those with mental health problems.

I’m 57, dad of four amazing grown-up children. My wife passed away when the kids were small, and my life has been dedicated to helping others to survive trauma. I’m a certified counsellor.

A year ago I was contracted to work with a new charity for those with mental health problems. The woman in charge started coming on to me hot and strong. She’d had problems of her own. I have a wonderful long-standing partner. I discovered some years ago that I was perhaps gay, and I am.

Anyway, this lady threw herself once too often at me, and I told her that I wasn’t interested and why. I resigned from the charity on which, at her urging, I’d become a trustee. After that, accusations were levelled against me – that I’d appropriated materials and funds, and I just shrugged them off.

But today’s letter had shaken me. That a government agency has taken seriously a malicious allegation made about me by a woman with mental health problems, because it was written on charity-headed notepaper, is evil. For six months, they’ve gone through all statutory agencies, all voluntary organisations, asking for information about me. I didn’t know anything about it. They never gave me a chance to tell them that this was all malicious.

Is this what we’ve become, as a nation? We don’t get a chance to defend our sanity and position until after THEY have set the wheels to investigate us in motion? It’s all in secret? I’ll deal with this. But should I have to? All agencies now know that I’m under suspicion. Is this right?

Barbara says: No, it’s not right, and a letter to say you’re OK isn’t enough. Get full details (write to the ISA and ask for their form to request full paperwork, fill it in, send �10, and wait for details.) Then contact the police and/or a solicitor/Rights’ Movement. This is our money that’s been wasted for six months! Why?