Re: Bad idea: Punishing false rape accusers

"Rauni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 05:16:39 GMT, "MMET572" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Magic Nose Goblin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> >news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Dee Fish out of Korea) wrote in message
> >news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >> > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Magic Nose Goblin) wrote in message
> >news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >> > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Kate Orman) wrote in message
> >news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >> > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Rich) wrote in message
> >news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >> > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Kate Orman) wrote in message
> >news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >> >
> >> > > > > > If it's not against the law to make a false report to the
> >police, then
> >> > > > > > how are these charges being laid?
> >> >
> >> > > > > When such charges are laid, they are for crimes against the
state
> >> > > > > (just ask Laurie). Specifically things like perjury, or in the
> >> > > > > UK either 'wasting police time' or 'perverting the course of
> >justice'.
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > The accused man is not in any way a part of the proceedings,
much
> >> > > > > less as the victim of a crime, and the charges are for a
> >misdemeanor,
> >> > > > > not a felony.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > I see what you (and Daran) are getting at - false *accusations*,
in
> >> > > > which a specific person is maliciously identified as the
> >perpetrator,
> >> > > > as opposed to false *allegations*, in which a specific
perpetrator
> >may
> >> > > > or may not be identified (as in the cases posted). It's an
extremely
> >> > > > important distinction, and I ought to have spotted it myself.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > I suspect whether making a false report is a misdemeanour or a
> >felony
> >> > > > varies, perhaps from state to state; the liars in Kanin's study
were
> >> > > > told they would be charged with a felony. It'd be interesting to
> >learn
> >> > > > whether maliciously accusing someone of (for example) theft
attracts
> >> > > > criminal charges.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > While I'm far from an expert on law, I'd have little objection to
a
> >> > > > specific crime of false accusation, as long as rape was not the
only
> >> > > > crime it applied to. Not only is a false accusation a vicious
> >> > > > injustice, but it hands woman-haters and rapists more ammunition
> >> > > > for their quest to smear all rape victims as "lying bitches".
> >> > > >
> >> > > > However, I've seen no good evidence that false reports are a
large
> >> > > > proportion of reports, and false accusations are only a
proportion
> >> > > > of false reports. When women do lie, it's not usually out of
malice:
> >> > >
> >> > > According to a FEMALE spokeswoman for the NYC DA's office,
> >> > > 40% of their rape accusations are subsequently recanted.
> >> > > and
> >> > > 40% of their rape accusations are DISPROVEN upon investigation.
> >> > >
> >> > > No mention was made of how many recantings take place after
> >> > > the police disprove the accusation.
> >> > >
> >> > > And of course, there will always be the false accusation which
> >> > > is neither recanted, nor disproven...which means there are EVEN
> >> > > MORE false accusations then what these figures show.
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > So, at least in NYC, the DA's statistics show that AT LEAST
> >> > > 40% to 80% of all rape accusations are false False FALSE!
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Not necessarily. Rape accusations may be recanted, but still arise
> >> > from a bona-fide rape.
> >>
> >>
> >> If the police have any evidence that the rape DID take place, then
> >> the DA's will prosecute despite her, and put her on the stand as a
> >> hostile witness.
> >>
> >>
> >> > The same as domestic violence accusations may
> >> > be recanted, but still arise from a real situation of abuse.
> >>
> >> Let's not forget that over 50% of domestic abuse is committed by women.
> >>
> >
> >Do tell. And are the 50% of these "abuse victims" who happen to be male
> >hospitalized or embalmed in the same proportions as the 50% who happen to
be
> >women?
> >
> >
> Typical soc.men twisting of the facts, data collected from the
> National Crime Victimization Survey (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
> consistently find that no matter what the rate of violence or who
> initiates the violence, women are 7 to 10 times more likely to be
> injured in acts of intimate violence than are men.
>
>
> "The pure and simple truth is rarely pure
>  and never simple." -- Oscar Wilde

BINGO!

One of the things discovered in Ontario in recent years: Abuse stats have
been skewed by a common practice among wife beaters. When caught assaulting
their wives/partners these guys would attempt to gain leverage by accusing
the victims. The cops would then arrest BOTH parties.

DFooK