ONTD Political Original Opinion: Should people who falsely claim rape be prosecuted?

[britrawick]

Poll False accusers should be prosecutedShould people who falsely accuse another of rape be prosecuted themselves? I raise this issue cause i'm often uncomfotable with how quickly people dismiss the idea that there are false accusations. Before you write me your essay telling me how that cases of assault are ridiculously high and unfortunately often go unreported, i already know this so

Comments

[invisiblegirlx]

this is a trick question. It sounds on the surface as something reasonable. Someone who bares false witness should be held culpable, but in the end it will largely be used to punish women who come forward and discourage them from speaking out.

[anguisel]

In this day and age where everyone has to take a photo, video, tweet or whathave you. Even doing the 'only if they were lying' can get tricky because you can have a video of someone on drugs/not in the right state of mind, being asked by the rapist in the video if they consent and say yes. Coercion, blackmail, so many different types of things to force someone to do something they didn't want

[maynardsong]

It's already a crime to make a false accusation though. Either perjury or filing a false report. I don't understand why people are so gung ho on making doing the same with rape be a separate crime. Fuck all that.

[scolaro]

Came here to say this (not as eloquently though).

[moonshaz]

Adding my vote to this.

[mimblexwimble]

right?

[namey]

Er, this strikes me as more of talk_politics material -- this isn't an actual news article, it's the OP doing their own thing, etc. etc.

[policraticus]

Assuming these people perjure themselves, they should be prosecuted at the very least for perjury. Which can be a felony. If any thing, a person who lies about as hideous a crime as rape should be treated more harshly than a person who lies about, say, shoplifting. A person who falsely accuses another of rape is accusing them of a crime that could (and if they are guilty, should)land the guilty party in prison for an extended time, if not for life.

Substitute the word "murder" for "rape" and see where your sympathy lies.

The presumption of innocence and the protection of the defendant from the power of the state isn't something we should be soft peddling. People accused of rape deserve the same rights as every other defendant.