Re: Frequent false reports: where's the evidence? (was: Re: Rape Education Story #60

Daran <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...

> And I disagree
> with you lumping the courts and the police in with the media and Internet
> posters.  The level of suspicion appropriate depends, surely, not just upon
> the false reporting rate, but also upon the consequence that might arise
> from believing a false story.  If somebody posts here falsely claiming to
> have been raped, and I believe them, then shame on them, but there's not a
> great deal of damage.  If a false report is believed by the police and the
> courts, then the potential damage is truly enormous.
 
While I take your point, the media and the net are responsible for a 
huge number of claims that women habitually lie about rape. That 
contributes to the mythology that has fuelled the scepticism of police, 
lawyers, judges, and juries to this day, allowing uncountable rapists 
to escape scot free. As the Canadian news item points out, what the 
police must do is to avoid making assumptions and simply investigate 
properly. The media (and anyone discussing this serious issue) ought 
to do their own "investigations" and get their facts right.

Yours,
- Kate Orman