UK: Redruth man speaks out about devastating false rape claim

Story here. Excerpt:

'A BARBER has told of his “14 months of hell” being shunned by friends and verbally abused in the street after he was falsely accused of rape.

A jury last week found Kyle Chilman of Clinton Road, Redruth, not guilty of raping a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, last August.

The 26-year-old said: “People driving past would wind down their windows and shout out “rapist” when I was walking home from work.

“Someone went into my mum’s work and said, ‘you’re not standing by that rapist son of yours are you?’

“Another person asked my flatmate what it was like to live with a rapist.
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Despite being cleared of all charges, Mr Chilman has said the ordeal will continue to affect him for the rest of his life.

“I am now afraid to talk to women – it’s a like a paranoia. I can’t talk to them like I used to because I am afraid of the consequences. It has changed my life forever,” he said.

“I don’t think people realise how devastating a false rape allegation can be on a person and their family.

“I am in support of women coming forward with rape allegations, but just please don’t do it if you feel guilty about something that has nothing to do with the allegation itself.”'