Q&A for How to Respond to False Accusations

Invite them to have a reasonable, open discussion with you. Before you meet with your accuser, gather as much as evidence as you can (recordings, data, witnesses) to prove that you are innocent.

Ask for proof. A person who has none will become defensive.

Ask them why they would accuse you of something so serious. Sometimes, when someone is guilty of something and doesn't know how to deal with it, they accuse someone else of a bad deed they have done. If your friend doesn't have a good reason for accusing you, simply tell them it's wrong and if they want to continue talking to you, they need to trust you.

Politely say you promise you did not steal anything. Say there must have been some misunderstanding, or someone else must have done it. If there are recordings or any other type of evidence available, ask them to examine the evidence.

State the facts and evidence you may have. Keep your story the same, and don't get frustrated. Stay calm and rational.

Nothing. Don't further implicate yourself. Separate from the situation and maintain innocence if questioned further.

Just be honest and stick up for yourself.

Talk to your attorney for advice.

Is this a false accusation made through a place of work? If that's the case, get a lawyer. This is a serious situation.

If the panel asks you, then you deny it. They will investigate this accusation and when it turns out to be false, you will have nothing to worry about.

You just have to be yourself and act like you always do. Time will solve all the accusations, if they are false.

You can talk to a counselor, or get your parents involved on your behalf. You can also talk to the administration at your school.

It depends on what they accused you for, but I personally don't recommend it. Unless you have an airtight case for defamation, it will probably just end up costing you a lot of money.

Get a good lawyer. If you are falsely accused it is important to take it seriously right away. You will need someone on your side that can prevent accusations from turning into criminal charges. Any statement you make should be clear, considered and checked over by a competent lawyer. It is important to be upfront and honest - but your own words will be used against you.

Tell your lawyer. Gather evidence that he is lying: text messages, receipts, emails, witness reports, anything that gives you an alibi for all the accusations he has. He probably thinks that if you were cheating, it means he will "win" the divorce and be entitled to everything. If you did not cheat, he is blowing smoke. Prove him wrong; judges hate it when a spouse lies.

If you are found to be in the wrong, correct it. You'll have to trim the bushes, or dig them up and move them over onto your own property. Since you have been found to be in the wrong, you can be forced by law to correct this. Avoid some costs and a lot of frustration by doing it proactively.

If they won't provide proof, people should see that their accusations are clearly false. Just distance yourself from that family member, as they're obviously toxic and you don't need that in your life.

There's absolutely nothing you can do about that. Just let him know that, while you are innocent, you also have nothing to prove to his sister in particular, and that he should do something about it once the truth becomes clear. Meanwhile, just stay in touch with your family or friends as much as possible (whoever believes you), and hope that in time everything will be alright.

Talk to your teacher, and tell him or her the truth. You can also schedule a meeting with your parents and teacher if the problem is still not resolved.

That depends on who the accusations are being made to. Is it Children's Services? CS will investigate and decide whether or not these accusations are true. If not, you may need to either ignore it or contact a lawyer for further assistance.

Perception is reality. You should apologize to the person who feels harmed.

Presumably you have told your parent that you didn't do this thing. If your parent doesn't believe you, then you must have given him or her a reason not to. Perhaps you have a history of lying. It will take time to rectify the situation. Stop lying and start treating your parent with more respect.

Getting revenge is only going to make things worse, and you'll look like you really did what the person accused you of. It is probably best to talk with this person, and tell them what really happened. It is also a good idea to get some witnesses, too.

Give them your alibi and try to prove it was not you.

Well, you could take a drug test if you want to prove that you're clean. But it sounds like you have trust issues, so you might want to consider couples counseling as well.

Get a lawyer, offer to get tested for drugs, cooperate fully with CPS. It sounds counterproductive, but cooperating with CPS will make you look less suspicious and will make the process a lot smoother. Show the social workers all the medications you're on, let them look for signs of drug use (there won't be any).

Be honest and show your search history. If that doesn’t help, talk to the accuser and tell them that you would never do such a thing.

Ask for evidence. If you have other coworkers you trust, ask them to help disprove the accusation.

Whenever you have even the slightest bit of evidence of child abuse, you rush to the police as fast as possible; every second these children are in danger is a second too much. Call the police. Child pornography is illegal, immoral and just plain wrong. If someone blames you and you're innocent, you will likewise be found innocent in a court of law.

Contact the police if you fear for your safety. If you feel safe but are irritated at such accusations, ask your neighbor over for a chat about what is really going on and what they think they're achieving by making up things about you.