Headline news, ‘Boys are now guilty until proven innocent’, by Cydonee Mardon from the Sunday Telegraph, November 3, 2024. On the basis of a single accusation, Jack Milner, a 19-year-old young man, faced serious charges of assaulting a woman in an alleyway near a Newcastle bar in November 2022. After an intense five-day trial, his devoted parents, Phil and Karen Milner, spoke out following the jury’s swift verdict—just 90 minutes to declare their son not guilty.

The article highlights the parent’s anguish during two tumultuous years as they steadfastly supported their son. Jack, grappling with the label of a predator, witnessed the relentless assault on his family’s reputation, fuelled by overwhelming media attention, but emerged with determination to clear their names and reclaim their dignity. The Milners made a crucial decision to sell their home to support Jack in his fight against the sexual assault charges.

We’ve seen the phrase ‘the pendulum has swung too far’ used before, highlighting a troubling trend in favor of alleged victims that has led to the destruction of innocent young men’s lives. How many young men, victims of this unjust bias, find themselves unable to defend against these accusations?

The evidence clearly demonstrated Jack’s innocence, raising the question of how this young man and his family found themselves in such a predicament. Thankfully, the jury fulfilled their duty, ensuring that justice would triumph over false allegations. The prosecution attempted to convince the jury that a ‘quiet, gentle soul’ could suddenly transform into a predator for just two minutes before returning to his inherently gentle nature.

Jack’s father, Phil Milner, stated that from the very beginning, the narrative painted Jack as a predator. Consequently, Jack was effectively under house arrest for the first 12 months while awaiting his trial date. Criminal proceedings can take years, and the prolonged wait to prove one’s innocence is truly agonising.

Karen Milner, Jack’s mother said ‘I hope that this doesn’t define, Jack. He was never a partier, a big drinker. He was the sweetest kid. He was 19 at the time and for a lot of young men who get accused of these things, the pendulum has swung too far.”

There was absolutely no evidence—no DNA, only the unsubstantiated claim of a single individual. However, the CCTV footage clearly established Jack’s innocence. A 22-year-old woman approached Jack, an apprentice mechanic, requesting to borrow his shirt after she was denied entry to the popular Finnegan’s night club on Derby Street. Defence barrister Margaret Cunneen SC emphasised that the woman initiated the contact. There was no rape; the woman fabricated her story out of fear of being caught for trespassing.

Jack and his family have navigated an incredibly challenging ordeal, emerging stronger to spotlight a troubling trend of false allegations and the biases that often regard them as truth, #believeallwomen. Their fight should not be in vain. We must confront whether the pendulum has swung too far, disadvantaging our men and boys, and determine the steps needed to restore balance.