Woman charged with perverting the course of justice over false claims of sexual abuse
A woman has been charged with making up false claims of sexual abuse.
Esther Baker, 43, is charged with four counts of perverting the course of justice following an investigation into organised child sexual abuse.
She will appear at Liverpool & Knowsley Magistrates’ Court on 14 January.
Malcolm McHaffie of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime Division said: “We have decided to prosecute Esther Baker with four counts of perverting the course of justice.
“These charges are brought following an extensive investigation into the claims made by the defendant in the original investigation into alleged organised child sexual abuse by public figures.
“Any decision to prosecute someone who has made sexual abuse allegations is not taken lightly and is only pursued where we believe that there is sufficient evidence to prove that the allegations are false, that they were maliciously made, and that it is in the public interest to prosecute.
“We have worked closely with Staffordshire Police as they carried out their investigation.”
We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and she has a right to a fair trial.
It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings
Notes to editors
- Esther Baker (DOB: 09/09/1982) is from West Derby, Liverpool.
- Malcolm McHaffie is the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime Division
- The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.
- The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.