UK: Man spent six months in prison due to false rape accusation

Story here. Excerpt:

'A BUILDER from Liskeard who was facing an attempted rape charge says he is taking legal action after the case was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Sean Frayling spent six months on remand at Exeter Prison before he was released without charge this month.

At Truro Crown Court, the CPS decided to offer no evidence against Mr Frayling and a formal not guilty verdict was recorded.

The 33-year-old said he had always pleaded his innocence and the attempted rape charge should have been dropped months ago when the victim gave police a description of her attacker that bore no resemblance to himself.
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He said his ordeal began on July 15 last year, when he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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"My guess is that I would have passed an incident which I was unaware of. Witnesses involved could only describe people in the area walking away from the scene. There were a few different descriptions given, and I did fit one of them, and I was arrested by the police outside the railway station on suspicion of attempted rape.

"But the victim gave a completely different description of her attacker as aged between 50 and 60, with a shaved head, silver stubble and about 5ft 8in in height.

"With that description, and having no evidence against me, the CPS had no reason to keep me in custody for so long,'' said Mr Frayling.

A bail application was opposed by the CPS in August. The 33-year-old was due to stand trial at Truro Crown Court but the CPS discontinued the case and he was released on January 2.'