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

Daran <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote, in talk.rape:

>the perception that the rate of rape
>convictions (at 6% of all rape reports) was "too low", (What evidence is
>there for this?), and that any increase is desirable.

I know I've visited this teritory before, but still this is something
I find peculiar, on a level.  

Warning: much as I dislike it, I'm about to mingle talk of rape with
talk of FRAs.

I can understand that a victim and his supporters might feel,
strongly, that lack of a conviction in this case is an injustice, and
that the lack of a conviction reflects a flaw in the system.  I
understand that righteous indignation can be contagious, too.  Still,
and surely unavoidably as soon as one moves beyond emotion into any
sort of discussion [1], since there'll generally be insufficient
evidence to prove rape beyond reasonable doubt, and by precisely the
same token, there'll generally be insufficient evidence to prove false
accusation (let alone culpably false accusation) prove beyond
reasonable doubt, surely a low rate of conviction would, in both
instances, demonstrate that the system is working well?

[1] As soon as I write it, I realise that that's tosh.  "Assumptions
are the things we don't know we're making".

Baba Yaga
-- 
And to do any good at all, just believing you're right and your
motives are good isn't enough.  You have to... be in touch.
 - Ursula le Guin