If someone accuses you of domestic violence, it can be tough to know what to do next. It’s such a frightening situation that many people do not think things through and act in ways that harm their defense.
Here are some things you need to avoid doing:
1. Contacting your accuser
While you might consider it reasonable to attempt to try to talk your accuser into retracting the allegations, you should not even try. If they have wrongly accused you of violence against them in the first place, who is to say they will not twist your words again and tell a court you abused them further.
Besides, once they make the allegations the case moves out of their control. It’s up to the investigating authorities to decide whether the case can be dropped. This rule exists to avoid genuine victims retracting their statements for fear of retaliation.
2. Talking too much about it
Keeping your situation to yourself is probably not a good idea as you may need some emotional support. Your might also need to mention something to your employer if the case will require you to take time off work (although you might prefer to give a different reason).
What you need to avoid is telling too many people, or talking about your case on social media where many people (including your accuser and the prosecution) may be able to access it. This is especially critical if you fear you will pick up your phone and write something late at night when you are not thinking straight. Once people hear about your case, some will automatically assume you are guilty and the prosecution will be looking to prove them right.
If you are facing domestic violence charges, it’s wise to seek legal help to find out what to do next.