PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Telephone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: info@menandboys.net
Persons Around the Globe Prepare to Observe International Falsely Accused Day, September 9
International Falsely Accused Day, observed every year on September 9, is again drawing attention worldwide to people wrongly accused of crimes they did not commit. (1) The day marks the toll of false accusations of rape, domestic abuse, fraud and other offenses, and calls for stronger protection of due process and the presumption of innocence.
The day was first observed in 2020 in the United Kingdom, with September 9 chosen to mark the birthday of Simon Warr. (1) Warr, a British teacher falsely accused of historical child abuse, was acquitted at trial, wrote the memoir Presumed Guilty, and later died of cancer in 2020. (2)(3) The observance has since spread beyond the United Kingdom, with advocacy groups marking the day in other countries, as well. (1)
A DAVIA survey in Argentina, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States found that adults in each country report ever being falsely accused of abuse. (4) After multiplying the survey percentage findings by each country’s adult population, DAVIA estimates that millions of adults in each country had been falsely accused of abuse:
- Argentina: 3.4 million
- Australia: 3.5 million
- United Kingdom: 2.1 million
- United States: 20.6 million (4)
Earlier this year, a Bolton Crown Court in England illustrated the high stakes in these cases. (5) The court sentenced a woman to four and a half years in prison after she admitted fabricating rape allegations against 10 men she had met through dating apps. None of the men were charged, and the false claims cost taxpayers an estimated 120,000 pounds in wasted resources. (5)
ICMB is recruiting volunteer Regional Coordinators in each participating country to organize local events, publicize the day on social media, and network with other organizations. Persons who wish to become a regional coordinator should contact Larry DeMarco at glawrence.demarco@gmail.com.
At a minimum, ICMB is asking news organizations to cover International Falsely Accused Day and the stories of the wrongly accused in their own communities. ICMB is also asking lawmakers worldwide to mark September 9 with a public event, proclamation or other formal recognition supporting due process and opposing false allegations. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issued such a proclamation in 2025. (6)
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization working to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys worldwide. The ICMB is a leader of the emerging global movement to address these disparities. https://www.menandboys.net/
Links:
(1) https://endtodv.org/coalitions/davia/false-allegations/
(2) https://www.thejusticegap.com/wrong-type-victim/
(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Warr
(4) https://endtodv.org/pr/false-allegations-target-millions-around-the-world-survey-reveals/
(6) https://endtodv.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-International-Falsely-Accused-Awareness-Day.pdf
