JUDGE Bennett, speaking of cases involving the sexual abuse of children (LET, July 12), refers to the trauma suffered by children who go to give evidence in court and then are not believed.

Recently, however, most allegations of child sex abuse come not from children but from people -- usually men -- in their 20s, 30s and even 40s who allege that they were abused many years ago.

Many of these allegations are false and are made by men -- some with serious criminal records -- who see and seize an opportunity of obtaining large sums in compensation from social services or education authorities or, in the final resort, from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Some lawyers working in this field believe that there are now at least 200 innocent men in prison after being charged under a law which has become a scoundrel's charter because of the removal in 1993 of the requirements for judges to remind juries of the need to look for corroboration.

I have sat through enough cases to become convinced that anybody who works or has worked with young people, as a teacher or youth worker, or in any other capacity, will remain vulnerable for the rest of their lives to false allegations of historical abuse, and that such allegations -- unsupported by any other evidence -- are likely to be believed by juries.

During the government's recent review of our sex laws, I argued (unsuccessfully) for the introduction of a Statute of Limitation (as in the USA) which would impose a time limit on allegations. Without such protection, and without the reinstatement of the need for corroboration, more and more innocent people will find themselves in prison -- not for weeks or months, but for years.

ALLAN HORSFALL, Farnworth, Bolton.