That's not the point. The fear of not being taken seriously is a big deal and a very common concern. Surely you can see how that ties into it right? You tell women that false reports are a crime, which is correct. They worry their claims won't be taken seriously. They worry that if they're not taken seriously the authorities will think they're lying.
You know they say karma is a bitch. I hope, for her sake, she doesn't find out the hard way...
So an 11 year old didn't tell the truth under oath ?
Surprise ?
There's a reason that the word of younger children is discounted in court by default, and almost always requires significant supporting evidence. Its easy for them to be pressured into saying what they think one of the adults involved wants to hear, especially in a divorced situation where she's especially fearful of upsetting someone in authority.
Let's get to the real problem... why was her father convicted if all it took to get him released was reversing the testimony of a child that should have little legal weight in the first place ?
And I don't see that worry connecting into the the worry of being legally punished. I have seen no evidence of it.
If nobody currently advocates punishment as you say, then you have no basis on which to claim that it would become a significant factor.
Last edited by v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk; 2012-11-23 at 08:29 AM.
I don't see what remains to be proven. Rape victims fear not being taken seriously. Consequences for not being taken seriously make that worse. Such as the afor mentioned "rape false accusators" crap.
Isn't it great? A woman can decide after she's had sex whether or not it's rape. Was it a one night stand and she wants to get back at the guy? File a false rape charge! Have a few drinks and take someone home that you regret/are embarrassed about? File a false rape charge!! Boyfriend dump you? Guess what she can do!
Rape is the only crime where the man is considered 'guilty until proven innocent', such a life-runing experience when a vindictive woman decides to pull the r-card. Even more amazing, if they do get caught in their lie, they get off scott free! What other crime can you falsely report and not get in any trouble over?
While I hate getting involved in one of Laize's gender threads which really just happen to be outward expressions of something he's dealing with internally, I felt this was important enough to discuss. I have a lot of sympathy for victims of sexual assault; my mother was molested as a child and she carried baggage from it well into her 40s. With that said, it's up to the victim to pursue justice for themselves. The possibility that someone won't speak up for themselves out of ignorance is not an excuse for refusing to punish a false accusation that lead to 9 unlawful years in prison.
I mean what's the flip side of doing nothing? It's saying "if you make a false accusation, you can get away with it". To me that's just as bad as someone not speaking up because they don't understand the law. In all honesty, I'm not concerned about "making examples" or "preventing this or that". What the kid did was wrong, and it deserves SOME sort of punishment. There is no justice if a person can be put away under false charges and no one pays for it.