UK: Father receives £86,000 after social worker falsely accused him of abusing his daughter

Story here. Excerpt:

'A father was arrested and banned from seeing his daughter after a social worker falsely accused him of abusing the little girl.

Jonathan Coupland, 53, was handcuffed in front of his neighbours, thrown in a cell and interrogated for ten hours after Suzi Smith claimed she saw him sexually assaulting his daughter Jessica, then six.

The social worker is said to have made the allegation in a fit of pique after the single father criticised the way she was handling a custody battle with his former partner.

Mrs Smith, 53, later retracted her claims and Mr Coupland has been paid £86,000 damages by her employer, the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass).

The public body - accountable to Justice Secretary Chris Grayling and funded by his department - has sacked Mrs Smith and apologised to Mr Coupland.

But furious about his ordeal, the father-of-one has taken the matter to court, pushing for Mrs Smith to be prosecuted for misconduct in a public office.

He is also taking action against the police for false arrest and false imprisonment.'