UPDATE: Here’s the news story confirmation:
A COMIC book artist has been cleared of raping and sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. Ronald Smith, of Grange Close in Godalming, had been accused of attacking the youngster, who is now 39, for three years during the 1980s. Mr Smith maintained his innocence throughout a five-day trial at Guildford Crown Court, telling the jury he had never touched the woman “at any time or in any way” and suggesting she had fabricated the allegations out of spite. The former RAF serviceman – who drew Judge Dredd and 2000 AD – was cleared by a jury on Friday of five counts of rape, two counts of buggery and two of indecent assault.
[Thanks, Steven Stahl, for the swift link.]
Numerous reports via UK twittering that artist Ron Smith has been found not guilty of all charges.
The 80-year-old JUDGE DREDD and 2000 AD artist who was under trial this week regarding charges of sexual abuse against a teen-aged girl alleged to have occurred in the ’80s. The accuser, now 39, only came to the police recently, but Smith protested his innocence:
“It is just so ridiculous,” the former Air Force soldier said. He suggested the woman could be lying because she was bitter with him over past events.
“I never touched her in any way or at any point,” Smith added.
“I certainly never had sex with her and I did not rape her. I did not even go near her, it just did not happen.”
Smith, who told police he was being treated for skin cancer, also said he was never alone with the girl between 1983 and 1986, when the abuse was said to have happened.
“It might sound incredible but it is absolutely true,” he added. “There is not a shred of truth to these allegations, they are false through and through.”
Although we don’t have a link to a news story on the trail result, so we’ll update this when more becomes available.
Buggery? Seriously?
That’s the name of an official crime in the UK? O.o
@michael,
Ha! That’s the first thought I had.
Buggery is an old-fashioned name for anal sex as performed by the active party – i.e. he buggers, you are buggered. In itself the word doesn’t imply a lack of consent, but it’s always been pejorative.
Shouldn’t she be charged herself then for bring forth a false allegation?
Yeah, I know what buggery means, but, why is it differentiated in the charges from rape?
Is there rape of the mouth, and what is that called, etc…..And I always thought it was slang, not proper terminology. O.o
Just because he was found not guilty, it doesn’t mean he was innocent….
I’m not a lawyer (perhaps Paul O’Brien would know more?) but I do think that non-consensual oral sex might be counted as some lesser form of sexual assault.
“Me”: any actual reason for saying that?
Hi there, I am Ron Smith’s daughter writing from Germany and would just like to confirm that my father has been proved innocent and found not guilty on all counts. It has been a simply terrible time for my father and we have – as a family – been grateful to have experienced such a lot of support from so many Judge Dredd fans. Be assured, “Me”, my father is completey innocent. I know the background – you do not.
S. Carr (nee Smith)
I have to chime in here. I could tell of more than one occasion in my own personal experiences were I have seen men I know wrongly accused of some form of abuse, towards women by a woman. Weather it be out of spite or to avoid some form of accountability, many women do it all the time, and many times that woman will be believed over the man without a shred of evidence. This is a shame, because it will later count against women who really have had met at the hands of abuse. People tend to remember the cries of “Wolf” over who did the crying. It’s also a shame because many men have had their lives destroyed (at least here in America because of the Registered Sex Offender Act) without any hope of ever being heard out, to defend themselves. So, to pretend to know if someone is really guilty or innocent without having anyway to know all the facts is just making things worse for everybody. It’s the kind of thinking that started a lot of Lynch mobs and witch burnings, so please, try to keep that in mind before you speak anonymously, or otherwise.
Actually, “Me,” in the eyes of the law that is pretty much EXACTLY what it means. Perhaps you could refrain from offering your cutting insights into the legal process until you’ve got the courage to use your full real name.
“I could tell of more than one occasion in my own personal experiences were I have seen men I know wrongly accused of some form of abuse, towards women by a woman. Weather it be out of spite or to avoid some form of accountability, many women do it all the time, and many times that woman will be believed over the man without a shred of evidence. This is a shame, because it will later count against women who really have had met at the hands of abuse”
It can go both ways – Guilty verdicts after there was no rape because some jury automatically believed the accuser (a la “she can’t be lying,” “he’s too brawny to look innocent,” “anyone accused of a crime must have done it,” etc.) and Not Guilty verdicts after there was a rape because some other jury automatically believed the accused (a la “she asked for it by wearing a skirt,” “she wasn’t a virgin so she must have wanted it,” “it’s part of their culture so it’s OK,” etc.).
“So, to pretend to know if someone is really guilty or innocent without having anyway to know all the facts is just making things worse for everybody.”
“Me” didn’t pretend to know, he or she did the opposite. “Just because he was found not guilty, it doesn’t mean he was innocent….” makes it pretty clear that “Me” claims to still not know whether Smith is really guilty or innocent.
BTW, not directly related to this case but just to the odds of getting a conviction after an accusation: isn’t it even harder for male rape victims to get their rapists convicted of rape (especially if the rapist is female, like statutory rape when a female middle school teacher threatens to flunk a male teen student if he doesn’t put out)?
Hi Sue,
I am related to Ron through my father Roger. We hope Ron can now be left to put this awful experience behind him with the love of his family. We hope to catch up soon with him.
Take Care
Nick
Hi Nick,
My father is experiencing so much support from so many people and this has helped him such a lot. Time heals so it is said and I am sure that over a period of time a degree of normality will return. However, to forget is, unfortunately, just not possible.
Greetings
Sue
Hi,
Ron is my next door neighbour and although I have not known him for a long time – he is the sweetest kindest old man you could ever hope to meet. He has been so upset over all of this and I wil not ever believe a word of it is true. I’m not sure why this girl has brought this all up now and what she hopes to gain from destroying an old man but she obviously has some serious issues, I hope she finds some help because she obviously needs it!
Carrie
It’s a shame such accusations are thought by the more moronic members of society to be “smoke” evidencing some imagined “fire”.
From a distance however, what appears to be smoke is in fact merely steam.
Innocent until proven guilty, isn’t that how it goes? Apart from in Dredd comics, I mean. Well, in the absence of being proven guilty I reckon that makes him still….
Go on, you can fill in the rest.
This note comes better late than never. I have known Ron for over 23 yrs. He is my step mum’s dad.
I am honored to know Ron, he is an amazing, kind and generous person. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to spend many family holidays with him. He is and always has been the perfect gentleman, father, grandfather, friend.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he his innocent! What a brave man he is for enduring all of those false accusations and lies!
Just thought I’d add a note of sympathy to Ron Smith for the ordeal he must have gone through & even congratulations on being proven inocent.
I own one of his judge Dredd strips, which I use as an example to show my students in a comic/book project.
his work is still inspiring art students, & he should be very proud of his achievments.
Paul.