Domestic violence is a serious crime, and millions of people—overwhelmingly women—around the world are victims of it. It’s a widespread problem that has to be stopped, and governments have been making an effort to do that with stricter enforcement of laws that cover domestic abuses. There are, however, situations where allegations of domestic violence are false. And when someone gets accused of domestic violence offenses, that person’s life and future will be adversely affected regardless of whether or not they’re true. Mere allegations of domestic violence could make the accused lose his or her job and even go to jail if convicted. Here are some of the things you need to do should you find yourself falsely accused of domestic violence charges.
Get an attorney to represent you.
The moment you get wind of a domestic violence lawsuit against you, hire a criminal defense lawyer. Your attorney’s job will be to prove to the court that the charges against you are false, that you are just the victim of baseless and malicious accusations.
Stick to your story.
The story that you have given from the very beginning of the case to express that you are innocent is the one that you should stick to right to the very end. Never change your story or make claims that will contradict the things you said the first time around. If you genuinely didn’t commit acts of domestic violence against your partner, you will stand by your claims no matter what.
Follow restraining orders to the letter.
In all likelihood, your accuser will have already filed for a restraining order against you. Once the Court issues that restraining order, do the best you can never to violate any of its terms or conditions. If the order states that you should stay a certain distance away from your accuser or your children, if any, then don’t go anywhere near them. And if your accuser ever makes a request to meet you or your children, make sure you have a record of that request. The fact that he or she asked to meet you means you’re not perceived as a threat, which is something that the court will readily see.
