There are few accusations more serious than falsely labelling someone a paedophile.

Whether the person making that accusation genuinely believes it or is acting maliciously, the consequences can be devastating.

Careers can be destroyed, families torn apart and reputations damaged in a way that can never be fully repaired.

That is why Australia has courts, police and a justice system.  They are not perfect, but they exist to ensure allegations are properly investigated, evidence is tested and people are judged on facts rather than rumour or emotion.

Last week’s disturbing incident in Ballina is a reminder of what can happen when those safeguards are ignored.

An innocent couple woke to find anonymous signs outside their home falsely accusing them of one of the worst crimes imaginable.

The allegations were completely untrue, yet they were displayed for neighbours and passing traffic to see.

The emotional impact was immediate.  One member of the family was left in tears, while an entire neighbourhood struggled to understand why such an attack had been directed at people they knew as highly respected members of the community.

As the homeowner summed it up, whoever was responsible had chosen “the wrong house, the wrong street, the wrong people.”

The incident is made even more sobering because it occurred only a few hundred metres from another case that sparked widespread discussion about vigilantism.

Earlier this year, a Ballina man charged over secretly filming women in a public toilet was allegedly assaulted outside a motel before his case had been finalised by the courts.

Many people would have found the allegations against him deeply disturbing, but police still issued an important warning that justice should never be taken into private hands.

That warning deserves repeating.

When individuals decide they no longer need police investigations or court proceedings, mistakes become inevitable. Sometimes those mistakes involve the wrong address. Sometimes they involve the wrong person. Sometimes they involve people who have done absolutely nothing wrong.

The result is that innocent people become victims themselves.

None of this is to minimise the harm caused by child abuse or other serious crimes.

Communities should always report suspicious behaviour, support victims and expect police to investigate thoroughly.

But there is a profound difference between reporting concerns to authorities and publicly accusing someone without evidence.

The first strengthens the justice system.  The second undermines it.

Ballina has now witnessed both sides of vigilantism within the space of a few months. In one case, a man accused of serious offences was allegedly assaulted before his matter was resolved by the courts. In the other, anonymous accusations appear to have been directed at entirely innocent people.

Both incidents reinforce the same lesson.

Justice can sometimes be frustratingly slow and we may not always be happy with the outcome of the final sentencing, but it is infinitely safer than allowing individuals to decide guilt for themselves.

Once communities accept anonymous accusations, intimidation or violence as substitutes for due process, it is only a matter of time before innocent people suffer.

Sadly, last week’s events suggest that time has already arrived.

RELATED STORY: Wrong house. Wrong street. Wrong family: Ballina couple falsely branded as paedophiles

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