After all charges laid against him were dismissed, Liam Murphy, known as “the Wolf” in the online Fetlife BDSM and kink community, wants to fight to fix what he claims is a broken system.
Although ultimately never going to trial for the sexual and physical assault charges laid against him, Murphy says his life has been completely destroyed in the process.
“Everything from my physical health to my mental health, all of my personal relationships and most of all my family, which is no-one else’s fault but my own.”
Murphy was one of the most popular men on the fetish community website Fetlife prior to being charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. After pleading not guilty, all charges were dismissed on 20 June in the Downing Centre Local Court by Magistrate Christopher Halburd. He was represented by famous Sydney Barrister, Charles Waterstreet.
But now he’s campaigning to change the system to prevent others from being falsely accused of rape.
“There does have to be checks and balances in place that mean our common decency as a group can’t be hijacked by unscrupulous people for their own nefarious purposes and used as an axe to bludgeon innocent people to death.”
When asked to name specific issues with the current system, he cited irresponsible media for “being able to write things that are not proven” and police and prosecutors who “need to take more responsibility to shut down accusations or illegal proceedings that are clearly false”
The 42-year-old former advertising executive also pointed the finger at the current MeToo movement.
“I want to see the MeToo movement succeed, and I don’t think it can succeed unless there’s some sort of sanity brought into the process,” he said. “So we can feel confident that when people are accused of sexual improprieties, that they actually did them”.
“I think there’s a giant silent majority who believe we’re doing it in an irresponsible manner, and I think I’m proof of that”
Murphy claims he was the victim of a plot designed to destroy his life, conducted by numerous “bad actors” whom he would not name.
While there still remains a suppression order on the specific facts of the case until 12 August, he stated that there is “a mountain of written records” to prove the allegations made against him were false and that illustrated why they were made in the first place.
“It was all a simple plot as old as the ages, of jealousy and rejection revenge.”
Murphy wants to see the system change to become easier for people who have been improperly accused of sexual assault to seek avenues for redress.
“What can and should be done: there need to be charges against people who make false allegations.
“In my case, there are a number of witnesses and complainants that can and should have charges brought against them.”
Would making it easier to lay charges against people who make false rape claims deter future victims coming forward? Murphy doesn’t think so.
“It will discourage people to lie to the police,” he said. “Which is a good thing.”
“That will lead to fewer headlines like mine about charges being dismissed, which affects people’s faith in the legal system. The conviction rate will rise and further encourage real victims to speak up.”
After receiving advice from police consultants on the likelihood of successfully bringing charges against the complainants in his case he was told there was little chance of them ever being brought to court.
He says he is still considering legal action “specifically against the witnesses and perhaps against the complainants”.
“I certainly will be taking action against the NSW police”