'The Canterbury Tales' author Chaucer wrongly accused of rape for 150 years

Newly unearthed mediaeval manuscripts have revealed that the 14th-century English writer Geoffrey Chaucer was wrongly accused of rape all these years.

Several prominent scholars in the last 150 years have been convinced that Chaucer abducted and raped a woman named Cecily Chaumpaigne.

The writer had been under suspicion since 1870, after the discovery of a legal document wherein Chaumpaigne agreed to release Chaucer from "all manner of actions such as they relate to my rape (raptus) or any other thing or cause."

Several reports over the years claimed that the woman accused Chaucer of rape and that he had to pay her to clear his name. The charge in the Victorian era documents appeared as "raptus," which in Latin means "to seize."

The new documents appear to absolve Chaucer as they reveal that he had only hired the woman. The move led to a legal battle between Chaumpaigne's former employer and Chaucer, per The Telegraph.

"The specific legal accusations brought against Chaucer in 1379-80 in the court of King's Bench were not charges of rape... but rather related to a labour dispute," said Dr. Euan Roger, a medieval specialist at the National Archives.

The new research reveals that the writer was embroiled in a case brought by her former employer, Thomas Staundon.

It says that the word "raptus" refers to Chaumpaigne suddenly breaking the terms of her employment in order to go and work with Chaucer. The legal battle came to an end in 1380 with Staundon dropping the case against Chaucer and Chaumpaigne.

"It turns out that even our most fundamental assumption about this matter was only that, an assumption," added Professor Sobecki, professor of later medieval English literature at the University of Toronto.

The poet's reputation has long been questioned because of the charge. The experts still believe that more research needs to be done and many more of his life records need to be read before reaching a conclusion.