Sounds familiar? Happening daily in Great Britain

www.buzzfeed.com/matthewchampion/this-ma...=.ioArgLgL#.tr3PMpMp

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/typing-mistak...aedophilia-mgzg7r5cf

This is quite scary. It reminds me of the film "Brazil" where the police were searching for Harry Tuttle, but due to a printing error they arrested and executed someone called Buttle.

I agree with one comment..60K is a pittance in compensation.

There is another aspect of this which I think people either ignore or have been brainwashed by the media so long that they never consider it..

no-one is perfect yet perfection is demanded unconditionally from 2 lots of society : the police and politicians.

No politician can dare say " I've changed my mind on that" or "I got that wrong" without being torn to shreds by the media.

Both police and politicians are then forced into this endless cover-up of their actions. The police despite checks and balances being put into place have a bizarre resistance to any confession they made a mistake, although the letter to this guy is very frank and seems quite personal; for the person who wrote, in that they are expressing great sympathy for his plight.

The media as always win : they can rip the shreds out of anyone in the first instance and then when that person is found to not be as guilty as perceived they can rip into those who fed them the 'good story'. Their role is never mentioned.

Yes utterly extraordinary that there has to be a long, six year battle to get police to admit fault. They really are out of control. And I suspect the day of Individual Accountability is coming. At present the cops - especially top bosses - believe they can hide behind the word "police" and nobody will look at the men or women concerned. The Henriques Report has prompted this to change. Look at the five officers suspended (three still) and Hogan Howe retiring months ahead of his time.

Yes, this defensive intransigence is an odd attitude, especially in a professional setting where it really isn't personal.

Much better immediately to say whoops, got that wrong, made a mistake or omission, or I was an ass-face and then try to put it right immediately. Then it actually reflects well on you and there's no more problem.