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I'm not a rapist; high profile entrepreneur campaigns for sex crime anonymity

Kayode Modupe-Ojo, a luxury lifestyle consultant and high profile entrepreneur was accused of rape in August 2013. His name was released to the media, and his life fell apart before his eyes. His accuser remained, and still remains protected by anonymity.

Modupe-Ojo was subsequently acquitted when his trial collapsed amid glairing discrepancies in the prosecution's case. However, his whole life has been affected by the accusation, with many names in the public eye in the same damaging situation.

Most recently, Welsh MP Nigel Evans, broadcaster Paul Gambaccini and Sir Cliff Richard, who have all been affected by similar accusations, have been campaigning for anonymity for those accused of sex crimes, and Kayode believes that there needs to be a change in the way the law exposes people before they are even proven guilty. Kayode Modupe-Ojo was subject to a high profile court case after he was charged on three counts of rape and one of sexual assault. He was remanded in police custody for two-and-a-half weeks whilst his businesses, reputation and self-confidence disappeared beneath him. Since being acquitted, Modupe-Ojo has made every attempt to turn his life around, and wants the world to hear his story so that cases like this do not occur again.
 
 

Kayode Modupe-Ojo said, "Everything that happened with my false accuser was fully consensual. I'm trying not to use the advantage of hindsight when saying this but I thought, up until the time of my arrest, that everything was fine. Her lies came out during the trial. I cannot describe the emotional trauma that I went through. I was fully acquitted and the system literally opened the door and said: ‘thanks for coming'; it's unbelievable."

Alongside the emotional trauma that Mr Modupe-Ojo experienced at the time, the word ‘rape' itself sticks like a bad smell to the wrongly accused entrepreneur. He not only had to deal with damage to his rising stature in the world of business, but still finds himself having to explain his story to every new person he meets - not only in his personal life, but in business too.

Modupe-Ojo continues, "I had to liquidise my assets. I spent six-figures on building one of my businesses and ended up selling it for a low priced figure sum because I had lost everything. Now I have been spat out of the other side of a system that failed me, I have had to build myself up from nothing again. I'm not sure how many people understand how hard it is to get into business with people when they all presume you are a rapist - but I will tell you that the whole experience has scarred me for life, in every aspect of my life".

Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, only the victim of a sexual offence is granted lifelong anonymity, yet defendants have no such protection. Nigel Evans, who saw details of his sexuality and claims of his drinking made public in court, described his experience as "torture" in a recent interview. He told the Daily Telegraph: "I think a lot of people do understand, but not fully. You have to go through the torture, you have to go through the fire, in order to know exactly how the burns and scars are earned. The three of us [Welsh MP Nigel Evans, Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini and Sir Cliff Richard] have gone through this torture, and we have come through it and we now want to do some good".

Anonymity for defendants until conviction applies in many other European countries, yet Britain is exposing its innocent civilians before a fair and just trial is undertaken, and Kayode Modupe Ojo, along with many others, is making a plea to the government to make a change.

-ENDS-
 
For more information, interview opportunities, quotes or images, please contact Adele Flint or Becca Underwood at PReach PR: 
 
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