STOP FALSE ALLEGATIONS

Johnny Depp (above, left) was falsely accused of domestic violence by Amber Heard in a 2018 Washington Post editorial. As a result, Depp was forced to resign from his high-profile acting roles. After Depp filed a defamation lawsuit, a jury reached a unanimous decision in 2022,  and Heard was forced to paid Depp $1 million for her false accusations.

A false allegation is an accusation that is made in bad faith with the intention of harming the accused person. False allegations are a severe form of domestic abuse that can harm a person’s mental health, damage one’s social standing and career, and even lead to a wrongful conviction,

A number of DAVIA member organizations have a primary focus on stopping false allegations:

• Argentina:
  • False Allegations Observatory (Observatorio de Falsas Denuncias)
• United Kingdom:
  • False Allegations Support Organization
  • Falsely Accused Day
  • Falsely Accused Network
  • Fighting for the Falsely Accused
• United States:
  • Advocates for the Falsely Accused
  • SAVE for Falsely Accused
  • Stop False Allegations Against Men

International Falsely Accused Day

Falsely Accused Day was first observed on September 9, 2021 in the United Kingdom. The September 9^th date was selected to honor Simon Warr on what would have been his birthday. Warr had been falsely accused of historical child abuse and passed away in 2020.

In subsequent years, Falsely Accused Day has become an international event:

Event Summaries:

• 2023 Observances
• 2022 Observances

Eight-Country Survey of False Allegations

• Press release: Survey: False Allegations of Abuse Are a Global Problem, Women Most Often the Accusers (see figure)

• Sean Kullman: Domestic Abuse is Real, Along with Some False Allegations

Legal Sanctions for False Accusers

• • Perses Institute: We Need New Laws to Punish False Accusers
  • New York State “anti-Karen” law (SB 8492)
  • Iowa (HF 821)
  • California State University system (Article VI, Notice of Allegations, I)

Books and Reports

• False Allegations of Sexual Harassment

• Investigative and Forensic Issues in Fraudulent Reports of Crime

• Documentary: Bonfire of Agreed Terms – False Allegations in the #metoo Era
•  Reports:
  • Incentives to Make False Allegations of Domestic Violence
  • How False Allegations of Domestic Violence Harm Families and Children
  • How to Survive a False Allegation

Press Releases

2023:

• September 5: Outcry: False Allegations Have Become a Global Threat to All 
• August 23: As False Allegations Spiral Out of Control, Feminist Groups Work to Give False Accusers a Free Pass

2022:

• August 24: Falsely Accused Day Will Spotlight Devastating Problem Affecting Over 20 Million Americans
• June 12: Lawmakers, Prosecutors, and Judges Must Work Together to Stop Global Epidemic of False Allegations

Return to the DAVIA home page: https://endtodv.org/davia/