Why is rape not being taking seriously?

[SayaOtonashi]

Alabama Judge Once Again Sentences Rapist To Probation Without Prison Time | ThinkProgress


Texas School Retaliated Against Student For 'Public Lewdness' After She Reported Rape | ThinkProgress

 

[dayhiker]

I believe all rapist should face punishment. Trouble is its a crime that usually happens without any witnesses. So its his word against hers. We had a local case where the guy was released after being in prison for a few years when the woman said she was just made at him and he didn't rape her.

 

[dogs4thewin]

yes, unless someone is a minor they have to prove the it was rape and not be consent. All DNA proves ( which is usually really go to have) In rape, however, all it proves is that sexual intercourse happened it cannot prove that such activity was forced. This is particularly true is the victim waits to report out of fear or whatever because you do not likely have signs scratches ECT that indicate the victim tried to fight or get away and since it have to be beyond a reasonable doubt that is REALLY hard to prove.

 

[Strathos]

False rape accusations are a lot rarer than people suggest though.

 

[yasic]

False rape accusations are a lot rarer than people suggest though.

Or they are a lot more common that people suggest.

Studies range placing them anywhere between 1% and 40%.

 

[Strathos]

Said studies obviously use wildly differing methodology, but it's muddled by the general unwillingness to report rape cases at all.

 

[yasic]

Said studies obviously use wildly differing methodology, but it's muddled by the general unwillingness to report rape cases at all.

Interestingly, the greater the percent of real rapes that are not reported, the greater the percent of rape accusations are false.

 

[Redac]

Though it does happen often enough that some of these false rape accusations are recorded as such because police will pressure the victim to the point that they'll admit it was "false" just to get the pressure to stop.

There was one specific story a woman wrote to this end about her own rape. I can look for the post if anyone is interested.

 

[SayaOtonashi]

WHy are some many turning on victims? I mean it seems many women or men who reported get abused or threatening.


Demand Rape Charges Be Brought Against the Men Who Raped and Murdered 16-Year-Old African American : Political Blind Spot

 

[Nithavela]

From what I can see, no one here is turning on victims. The only people who are turned upon are people who falsely accuse other people of rape (most often women who accuse men of rape).

Of course, no one does take rape seriously even if it is true rape, as long as the victim is a man and the rapist is either a woman or an inmate in a prison. Don't pick up the soap, buddy!

 

[yasic]

From what I can see, no one here is turning on victims. The only people who are turned upon are people who falsely accuse other people of rape (most often women who accuse men of rape).

Of course, no one does take rape seriously even if it is true rape, as long as the victim is a man and the rapist is either a woman or an inmate in a prison. Don't pick up the soap, buddy!

Put down that pitchfork.

I'm pretty sure the post was in regards to the world at large such as the news item posted, not at people in this thread.

 

[SayaOtonashi]

Some of the other rape cases I have read many have sent threatening letters tho the victims. I mean in some parts women shouldn't report the rape or they will be locked up

 

[Ken-1122]

Alabama Judge Once Again Sentences Rapist To Probation Without Prison Time | ThinkProgress


Texas School Retaliated Against Student For 'Public Lewdness' After She Reported Rape | ThinkProgress

So out of thousands of cases, you "cherry pick" 2 where you feel justice isn't done and from that you conclude rape is not taken seriously? C'mon we know better than that.

Ken

 

[TheBear]

False rape accusations are a lot rarer than people suggest though.

What are the specific stats on false rape reports? Of all the reported rape cases, what percentage of them are false accusations? I haven't seen those studies. Also, what percentage of false accusations is acceptable to you?

 

[LOVEthroughINTELLECT]

When something becomes ideologized--guns, capital punishment, rape, abortion, etc.--the seriousness of it is often forgotten.

 

[Jade Margery]

What are the specific stats on false rape reports? Of all the reported rape cases, what percentage of them are false accusations? I haven't seen those studies. Also, what percentage of false accusations is acceptable to you?

How could one even get accurate statistics when the false allegations are sometimes ALSO false?

I Am a False Rape Allegation Statistic » Almost Diamonds


Also a few choice quotes from Wikipedia:

is extremely difficult to assess the prevalence of false accusations. Not all jurisdictions have a distinct classification of false accusation, resulting in these cases being combined with other types of cases (e.g. where the accuser did not physically resist the suspect or sustain injuries) under headings such as "unfounded" or "unproved." There are many reasons other than falsity that can result in a rape case being closed as unfounded or unproven.

FBI reports from 1996 consistently put the number of "unfounded" rape accusations around 8%. In contrast, the average rate of unfounded reports for "Index crimes" tracked by the FBI is 2%.[14]
However, "unfounded" is not synonymous with false allegation. Bruce Gross of the Forensic Examiner says that:
This statistic is almost meaningless, as many of the jurisdictions from which the FBI collects data on crime use different definitions of, or criteria for, "unfounded." That is, a report of rape might be classified as unfounded (rather than as forcible rape) if the alleged victim did not try to fight off the suspect, if the alleged perpetrator did not use physical force or a weapon of some sort, if the alleged victim did not sustain any physical injuries, or if the alleged victim and the accused had a prior sexual relationship. Similarly, a report might be deemed unfounded if there is no physical evidence or too many inconsistencies between the accuser's statement and what evidence does exist. As such, although some unfounded cases of rape may be false or fabricated, not all unfounded cases are false.[2]lse.[2]

And while we can all agree that maliciously accusing a person of rape when they did not commit it is a heinous thing to do, can we also admit that if there are a hundred accusations of rape, eight men falsely accused (at most) is a slightly smaller problem than 92 women (or men) ACTUALLY assaulted?

To be honest, the posts in the thread so far have only served to show that rape ISN'T being taken seriously, because rather than discuss the very real and sadly common problem of sexual assault and the inept way our justice system handles abusers, most of you are concentrating on the relatively few cases where someone -isn't- raped.

And Ken, the OP posted two cases, but if you want more you only need to check out this fancy new thing called 'Google'.

‘He’s still skating’: Rapist teacher freed after 30-day prison sentence - NY Daily News

Missouri family becomes target in small town after teen says she was raped  - NY Daily News

The roots of the military's sexual assault problem

Are America's rape laws too lenient?

'Text message rapist' Timothy West acquitted of rape despite apology secretly recorded by cops - NY Daily News

Suspect in 2005 Buck case said he knew it was rape | The Colorado Independent

Julie Bindel investigates why is rape so easy to get away with | Society | The Guardian

Etc. etc....

And note, these are just the ones that get talked about, the ones that end up as internet articles. Plenty of people don't make a public scene of it, and plenty that try to get ignored.

 

[TheBear]

Thanks, Jade.

I agree.

What percentage of reports are false accusations? That's all I was asking at the time.

Of course there are cases where the rape victim becomes the accused. Taking that to the extreme, one need look no further than Shari'a law.

(I might be in the wrong thread here)

 

[Jade Margery]

Thanks, Jade.

I agree.

What percentage of reports are false accusations? That's all I was asking at the time.

Of course there are cases where the rape victim becomes the accused. Taking that to the extreme, one need look no further than Shari'a law.

(I might be in the wrong thread here)

You are right... I was limiting my examples to the United States to show that we are still not where we need to be in terms of justice OR culture when it comes to sexual assault, but in many other societies the problem is much, much worse.

 

[LOVEthroughINTELLECT]

To be honest, the posts in the thread so far have only served to show that rape ISN'T being taken seriously, because rather than discuss the very real and sadly common problem of sexual assault and the inept way our justice system handles abusers, most of you are concentrating on the relatively few cases where someone -isn't- raped...

I empathize and feel your frustration. However, let me caution you about attributing people's attitudes to their own moral character. I believe that what we are dealing with is at the cultural level. I am reminded of Sick Societies: Challenging the Myth of Primitive Harmony, by Robert Edgerton. I have not read the book, but it is my understanding that Edgerton does not spare post-Industrial societies as he asserts that some cultural features are maladaptations.

Maybe the source of the problem is this: in places like the United States of America we are so ethnocentric and so arrogant that we are in denial about the violence in our culture. Violence against women?! At alarming rates?! In the Leader of the Free World?! In the land of so many cultural achievements, so much prosperity, and so much equality?!

I can't pinpoint the causes, and I can't really offer solutions. But I think that it is safe to say that the problem is not a few bad people and a few enablers. If we lock up all of the bad guys and educate all of their enablers that won't make the problem go away--it is cultural.

 

[yasic]

The simple fact of the matter is that it is impossible for us to truly know what percent of rape accusations are false. If you are presented with a he said she said scenario, how on earth do you tell if it was a rape or a false accusation? Any study that makes makes a claim to it takes on the role of judge and jury to decide if said claim was real or not.

Even if we go by conviction rates, a portion of those found guilty of rape would have been falsely accused, and a decent number of those acquitted would have been really guilty.

Going by survey you run into the issue, again, of people lying. Those who have falsely claimed rape in courts would have no issue lying for a survey, and those who have raped and plead not guilty would have no issue lying for a survey either.

In fact you run into a second problem, just like rape victims don't wish to talk about their experience and hide it for numerous reasons, those who have been falsely accused would also not want to talk about it. Admitting that you were falsely accused is admitting you were at some point charged of rape and to many people they would be afraid to speak up about it as if word got out the accusation alone could ruin a life (sadly the same is true for being a rape victim).

I mean how would one even go about such a task?