Sir Cliff Richard feared he’d ‘die of heart attack’ after child sexual assault allegations
metro.co.ukMetropolitan Police’s Operation Yewtree, which was set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.Sir Cliff was awarded compensation from the South Yorkshire Police and the BBC over the coverage of the case, for which he was never charged.
He has now spoken out to urge people to back the campaign to change the law so suspects have anonymity unless they are charged, explaining that being falsely accused could ‘completely destroy you’.Sir Cliff admitted he feared he was ‘going to die of a heart attack’ in the wake of the accusation after sometimes waking up with his pulse racing, and will ‘forever’ be on the dark web as ‘the man accused of the dastardly deed’.
Speaking in the House of Lords on Wednesday, he also branded the internet a ‘disaster area for most people now’, adding: ‘You can’t trust anybody anymore.’He explained: ‘I can’t express it strongly enough to know what it’s like to be an innocent man and also know that the person that accused you has anonymity in perpetuity.‘I’m past that terrible time but will I ever get over it?
The answer is no.’The pressure group Falsely Accused Individuals for Reform (Fair) is campaigning to change legislation to ensure anonymity for the accused until they are proven guilty.
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