SAJID Riasat attempts to misconstrue my carefully considered words to support his own thinking. (You Say, October 23).

In answer to his question I can only say there is no reason whatever why an accusation should not be made or maintained long before an issue comes to court. Often the accuser may well be the injured party, and it may well fall to the injured party to initiate proceedings.

It seems to me your correspondent is raising all manner of irrelevances to obscure an issue and justify a particularly heinous crime.

JOHN HINTON,

Victoria Avenue, Worcester.