The whole reporting sexual assault decades later debate (female, children, radio)
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It is even more difficult for a falsely accused man to defend himself.
That's true.
But those two situations are not comparable.
Most men are not willing to discuss their last colonoscopy, their prostate issues, urinary tract infections, STD history, their erectile disfunction issues, or their inability to produce viable sperm to lead to pregnancy of a female.
So even as a man, I can understand full well how difficult it is for a woman to discuss a sexual attack.
Sorry, This Town, old chum, but I think you're the wrong person to start this debate.
However, the answer's pretty simple. It's extremely difficult for women to report rape at all, because of the intimate nature of the crime. Think, for example, how hard it is for men to report that they're the victims of domestic violence, or that they've been the victim of rape.
Secondly, law enforcement agencies handled reports very badly, long ago, when some of these crimes took place. They didn't take it seriously, until a strong and persistent women's movement eventually succeeded in pushing the issue, and training became available for police precincts. And hospital "rape kits" were developed, but studies have shown that a high percentage of the kids have never been processed. And that's true even in cases of "stranger rape" serial rapists, the kind law enforcement has always taken very seriously. And just FYI, in the case of those "rape kits", emergency room personnel still had to be trained in how to deal with victims compassionately, while getting the sample for the kit. This whole issue, from law enforcement, to emergency hospital staff, to the courts and the public, requires tremendous education on the issue, on the effects of trauma on victims, the psychology of trauma, and so on.
Try to find a small corner of compassion within you, to open up to learning about this.
I agree with you, don't understand how I am lacking compassion and it's rather presumptuous of you to say "I'm the wrong person" to start this debate? I mean...really? How am I the wrong person?
My original post is rather objective as I was just covering what was mentioned in my friends' back and forth comments regarding this and how it has created a divide in friendships online.
I recently heard how someone said someone that was close to her, raped her, and she never said a word to anyone. Not even close friends, and it was like life went on and she was still in this man's presence, hanging out in groups..as if nothing happened. And apparently, she was some Goth girl that was considered tough as nails by her friends. So I do feel compassion as her behavior for not saying a word about it...not even to people that are CLOSE to her, there's SOME gut instinct that's keeping them from saying anything.
I mean, can you imagine, hanging out for the past few years with a group of friends, and one of those male friends try to rape you? If you said anything to anyone, they'd probably blow it off or something.
I just found out just yesterday a Meetup member was being sexually harassed by a man (he was very touchy feely, and make innuendoish remarks) at their brewery Meetup. She brought it to the attention of the organizer and told the harasser to back the F off.
Guess what, she was booted from the group. And I think the organizer that booted her was a woman.
The thing is though, even some women may not have a problem with the guy, and can laugh it up... so everyone has their line or tipping point on on individual basis. Maybe the ladies of that group have no problem with his touchy/feely hands. Though he wasn't messing with private parts,but mostly arms and backs.
So, sadly, she got no sympathy from her peers, and probably just labeled her as a trouble maker and booted her.
How difficult it is or isn't for a woman to accuse a man of rape isn't the issue.
The issue is the American criminal legal system is predicated on a presumption of innocence where The State has the burden of proof before a jury of the accused person's peers.
In the past few years, a certain identifiable segment of our nation is pooping all over that presumption of innocence when it comes to accusation of sexual assault. That segment wishes to deny the accused person a fair trial before that person's peers (e.g., other men accused of rape).
That certain identifiable segment poops all over the US Constitution because, well, the US Constitution just isn't convenient for their prejudiced point of view that the accuser must be presumed to be telling the truth and the accused must be presumed to be guilty prior to any adjudication of facts.
Defamation law should apply - the accussor should be sued by the accused. If there was no successful prosecution for sexual assault, that should be taken as clear and convincing evidence that the accuser engaged in slander and liable.
There needs to be a clear penalty for unproven accusations. That penalty must be severe enough to be a deterrent.
"Far better for 100 guilty to go free than 1 innocent suffer."
I was about to post this in the nick of time of hearing this. I heard on the radio that it was an incoherent and drunken recollection of the "victim". Apparently, she said she saw "a penis' and some other drunk student said, "That's Kavvanaugh's!" (Hearsay)
Well, now we know it wasn't him.
So apparently, people are using their so-called victimhood as really a strategy to get him out of the judges chair and someone ELSE They want IN that chair. They were just using the #MeToo movement to piggy back off of.
First, that is a bit of a big step from attempted murder to attempted rape. Nice job of trying to bend it in your favor. However, I would feel the same way. If the victim knew their attacker in an attempted murder and chose not to report it to police for 36 years for whatever reason but then out of the blue decides they want to stick it to them at this point. Yes I would feel the same way. The story is not believable at this point.
Secondly, I don't buy the "attempted rape" accusation. It sounds more like a party full of drunken teenagers and he tried to get some from her and she resisted. It was over at that point. Going for it and being shot down and attempted rape are two completely different things.
If it had happened two months ago and she was traumatized from an actual attempted rape and it took her a couple of months to recover and get it together to come forward it would be believable. Waiting 36 years and now all of the sudden she is a suffering victim is not believable at all.
How is holding someone down with your hand over her mouth - with an accomplice standing guard and egging you on just "going for it and getting shot down"?
Is this the kind of thing you did in H.S. and college, or since? You really are okay with this happening to your daughter or niece? Yeah, I know, they're "good girls".
How difficult it is or isn't for a woman to accuse a man of rape isn't the issue.
The issue is the American criminal legal system is predicated on a presumption of innocence where The State has the burden of proof before a jury of the accused person's peers.
In the past few years, a certain identifiable segment of our nation is pooping all over that presumption of innocence when it comes to accusation of sexual assault. That segment wishes to deny the accused person a fair trial before that person's peers (e.g., other men accused of rape).
That certain identifiable segment poops all over the US Constitution because, well, the US Constitution just isn't convenient for their prejudiced point of view that the accuser must be presumed to be telling the truth and the accused must be presumed to be guilty prior to any adjudication of facts.
Defamation law should apply - the accussor should be sued by the accused. If there was no successful prosecution for sexual assault, that should be taken as clear and convincing evidence that the accuser engaged in slander and liable.
There needs to be a clear penalty for unproven accusations. That penalty must be severe enough to be a deterrent.
"Far better for 100 guilty to go free than 1 innocent suffer."
Who says it DOESN'T apply? I thought Trump was gonna go after all his accusers? Whatever happened to that? Guess he didn't have a case....
How difficult it is or isn't for a woman to accuse a man of rape isn't the issue.
The issue is the American criminal legal system is predicated on a presumption of innocence where The State has the burden of proof before a jury of the accused person's peers.
In the past few years, a certain identifiable segment of our nation is pooping all over that presumption of innocence when it comes to accusation of sexual assault. That segment wishes to deny the accused person a fair trial before that person's peers (e.g., other men accused of rape).
That certain identifiable segment poops all over the US Constitution because, well, the US Constitution just isn't convenient for their prejudiced point of view that the accuser must be presumed to be telling the truth and the accused must be presumed to be guilty prior to any adjudication of facts.
Defamation law should apply - the accussor should be sued by the accused. If there was no successful prosecution for sexual assault, that should be taken as clear and convincing evidence that the accuser engaged in slander and liable.
There needs to be a clear penalty for unproven accusations. That penalty must be severe enough to be a deterrent.
"Far better for 100 guilty to go free than 1 innocent suffer."
Are you saying that defamation law is not available to men who have been accused unjustly?
Apologies if this link was already posted, but this article written by a victim of rape many years ago explains quite clearly why she did not report it. She was date raped the night before her college graduation. Her rapist was so drunk, he didn't even know what he did.
Most men are not willing to discuss their last colonoscopy, their prostate issues, urinary tract infections, STD history, their erectile disfunction issues, or their inability to produce viable sperm to lead to pregnancy of a female.
So even as a man, I can understand full well how difficult it is for a woman to discuss a sexual attack.
Now, THIS is a helpful post. Thank you, phet. It's insightful to know what the male equivalent is, of that deep embarrassment, or shame, or whatever you want to call it, that women have, in relation to incidents of this nature. For that matter, men get molested as boys, too, and have the same struggle.
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