Broadcaster falsely accused of sexual abuse calls for liars to be prosecuted

A radio DJ who was falsely accused of sexual abuse has said those who make false claims should be prosecuted or given medical help.

Paul Gambaccini, 66, was on police bail for a year after being arrested for suspected sexual abuse before being told there was no case against him.

On Radio 4’s Today programme Mr Gambaccini said sex crime suspects should first be given anonymity before being charged and that there should be more consideration about how false accusers are treated.

He also attacked the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir Bernad Hogan-Howe as well as Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions.

He said:“We need anonymity before charge, as recommended by the home affairs select committee, and we need to look at false accusers and how we treat them.

“False accusers need to either be prosecuted or offered medical attention.”

During his bail period, Mr Gambaccini said he forfeited over £200,000 in lost earnings and legal costs before prosecutors and police said there was no case against him.

He added he may not have written a book on the subject if Ms Saunders and Mr Hogan-Howe had behaved differently, saying: “I could have been dissuaded had two people chosen to be decent, honest people and they chose not to be.

“One was the commissioner of police Bernard Hogan-Howe and the other was Alison Saunders.”

Mr Gambaccini said that Mr Hogan-Howe avoided apologising after the press described the case as a “travesty of justice”.

“Here’s a man whose organisation attempted to destroy my life and my career and when they fail – as they had to fail – they would not admit error, they would not apologise, they would not say you’re innocent,” he added.

On the question of how seriously police should take allegations he said they should listen more carefully to the details.

“In these cases if the central accusation is false, the details around it are usually howlers.

“I have found false accusers gild the lily with details that can’t possibly be true.”

In his own case he explained his accusers said he committed the offences ten years before he started having same-sex relations.

Mr Gambaccini added: “They were not only in the wrong day, the wrong year, they were in the wrong decade.”