Woman who falsely accused 10 men of raping her jailed

A woman has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison after falsely accusing 10 men of raping her.

Stacey Sharples, 31, from Farnworth in Bolton, pleaded guilty on Monday at Bolton Crown Court to 10 counts of perverting the course of justice.

The allegations were made between 2013 and 2019, with most of the men arrested and spending time in custody, including some undertaking intimate examinations, said Greater Manchester Police.

They added that a number of the men lost their jobs or partners, were disowned by family and friends, or saw declines in their mental health after being falsely branded a rapist.

Greater Manchester Police said the investigation into Sharples began after lines of inquiry "consistently" revealed evidence contrary to what had been disclosed by her.

The force said there was a "continuous, wilful making of false allegations" by Sharples, who knew "full well the consequences for each of the men involved".

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Nine of the men who Sharples made false allegations about also provided impact statements.

Reece Lockett said: "My life was turned upside down the day I was falsely accused of rape. My mum and dad disowned me. My partner of five years left me. I lost my part-time job."

Astron Inman said: "Words can't describe the torment my head has gone through. I moved to Sweden not long after to re-evaluate my life and wasn't a part of my children's lives for a couple of years.

"My love life had dramatically fallen, I have been single ever since and I find it hard how to approach the opposite sex."

Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland, who investigated this case, said on Wednesday after sentencing: "We took the allegations made by Stacey Sharples seriously, explored all lines of enquiry and swiftly made arrests or interviewed all the men she accused.

"We gave her multiple opportunities to provide further explanation or information to us, after interviews with the men and subsequent evidence uncovered didn't align with her first recollection, as we understand that trauma can impact how victims and survivors recount their experiences.

"Ultimately, as the evidence continued to demonstrate that the reports were untrue, coupled with the desire for justice from some of the men who had been falsely accused, it was right that we followed the evidence and pursued the individual who had actually committed a criminal offence.

"I would like to pay tribute to the strength of these men, who have endured an experience no one would ever wish to go through, and done so with dignity. I hope they feel a sense of justice for what happened to them today."

He added: "To anyone out there who has been a victim of rape or any sexual offence, I plead that the actions of Miss Sharples do not stop you from seeking support, whether that be from police, a charity or support service."

The police said false accounts undermine those who have genuinely experienced sexual violence.

It added that the time spent investigating Sharples' claims could have been put towards investigating genuine reports of sexual offences.

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