Due to a similarity in names, an innocent man spent nearly a year in prison for the sexual abuse of a minor, Latvijas Televīzija’s (LTV) programme “Aizliegtais paņēmiens” reported on Monday.
The girl had informed child protection authorities about long-term sexual abuse and later identified the perpetrator to the police. The suspect was subsequently detained, prosecuted, and imprisoned for almost a year.
At some point during the proceedings, the girl gave testimony that the man in custody was not the correct person. He was then released. It was discovered that the real perpetrator was a different individual with the same name.
The investigation into the case is still ongoing.