An allegation while travelling can be a massive setback that not only ruins your latest holiday but can also ruin your life. Not all countries have fair and effective legal systems, and being a foreigner always works against you. However, there are a few things you can do to ease the process, from staying calm and keeping boundaries to contacting your country’s embassy.
Consult with a Local Law Firm
Not every country has effective local law enforcement, and some are simply corrupt. As such, you can’t rely on them to advise you of your rights, and you will need a local lawyer to fight your corner. For example, if you are accused of any type of sexual offence when visiting another country, the penalty can be harsh right from the start. Therefore, you need local representation, even if it is to break the language barrier and prevent you from making a terrible mistake.
Stay Calm and Maintain Boundaries
One of the worst things you can do is lash out and lose control when being arrested, questioned or handled. An emotional outburst can be interpreted as guilt and will only make a bad situation worse. So, try to remain calm and listen carefully to what is being presented. It also helps to state your denial clearly and politely, and if you believe it is in your best interest, calmly state you will not engage with an investigation until your right to legal representation is fulfilled.
Document Everything After an Allegation While Travelling
Being arrested in another country can be nothing short of a nightmare. For example, over 100 countries hold British nationals without a formal prison sentence. Of course, understanding your rights if you are accused of sexual assault or a similar high-priority crime can help. However, you also need to act in your own best interests ASAP. One of the best things you can do is document everything, including receipts, texts, emails, photos and even boarding passes.
Get In Touch with Your Embassy or Consulate
After finding legal representation, your next move is to call your embassy or consulate if the crime you are being accused of is very serious. The embassy can provide a list of more appropriate legal firms that can help with language issues, for example. The embassy or consulate can also communicate with local law enforcement and work on your behalf for fairer treatment. However, it also establishes you as officially under your country’s legal protections.
Limit Public and Social Media Discussion
Is venting on social media helpful? This is open to debate; if you are venting about something like losing a job at home, perhaps. However, when you are accused of a serious crime, it is probably one of the worst things you can do. Any information posted online is easily taken out of context, making it easier to be used against you. And this also goes for private messages too, as police can request records of your texts and chats as evidence in a criminal investigation.
Summary
Consulting with a local lawyer is a first step to take after an allegation while travelling in another country. You can help yourself by documenting everything you can find and remember for a first line of defence and, under no circumstances, discuss your case online or in private messages.
