False accusations actually do carry the same potential sentence as the crime itself. As well as charges for filing a false report, lying to investigators, perjury, slander/defamation and so on.
Well there's a difference between not getting enough evidence to convict and having proof that the accuser outright lied (audio of them saying they lied because they wanted him gone or something)
(Heres another unpopular opinion)- I wouldn't call it "just as bad".
They are pretty high up there in terms of offense but while some cases are resolved and they catch the liar, a rape victim was violated in a deep personal manner which they might not ever recover from or never truly reach justice after the other person/people have been sentenced. A false claim doesn't leave that same impact (but it is close).
Actually, the legal and personal effect a false rape charge can cause can linger for the rest of a person's life. Their job options will be heavily limited, and they are labeled as a sex offender. It ruins a life.
I mean sure but their body wasn't physically violated and and something supposed to be intimate and loving wasn't ripped from them forcefully. Job options are one thing. The right to be free from violence and the right to the autonomy of one's own body is quite another.
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· 8 years ago
@violence and five years (or more) in prison wouldn't negatively affect a man's life? Say he went for 12? That's not bad? What if an underage girl accused him falsely? And then he was actually raped in prison? You don't think that's bad? Not at all huh?
A person falsely accused of rape can't live a normal life for years after because everyone just looks at them differently. Their lives are ruined because everyone has that quiet voice in the back of their heads saying "did he get away with it?" Also it causes people to lose their jobs
I, a fourteen year old virgin who has never even masturbated, and is saving myself for marriage would rather be raped and have !mental scarring than be labeled as a sex offender and thrown in jail for years. My entire life would be ruined.
Well i feel like that's a bit of a stretch there. It's kind of hard to say which one you'd rather have happen when both are extremely damaging psychologically and socially.
I'd take psychologically crippling events over socially debilitating circumstances because I only have control over myself and not others. Sure I'd be hurt but I think I could deal with it because I have a huge "fuck this" place in my brain where I'll shove it.
I don't think you should be so quick to make judgements about which of the two life-ruining situations is worse. I know a lot of people who would laugh in your face and possibly punch you in it, too, if you said you'd rather be raped than be falsely accused of rape.
Or rather would you rather get shot in the face or shoot yourself in the face? I'd rather shoot my self because I have at least minimal control of myself.
I call bullshit. You want to know what rape is? It's learning at 13 that even your hoodie and jeans were "too revealing" because everyone asks what you were wearing or what you said or did. It's realizing that after an entire year of having to face an abuser that you're just a total piece of shit. It's not being able to fall asleep even now, four years later, because you have nightmares so bad that you vomit and your nose bleeds. So yes, I hate the bitches that lie about rape, but let me tell you something. Our justice system isn't in any hurry to convict a man without evidence. I know from experience. So don't you dare tell me it's worse. You have no idea.
I'm so sorry you went through that, guest. As a fellow victim/survivor/whatever the fuck you want to call it, I want you to know that I hear you. Seeing this shit get twisted into something that makes it even more terrifying to report a rape is awful. They don't understand the shame, the blame, and the hopelessness that we've gone through. My rapist got off with a slap on the wrist because, "he just made a mistake, it wouldn't be fair to ruin his entire life over that", despite the fact that he confessed. You're right, this is bullshit plain and simple. Stay strong, love.
According to RAINN and the Justice Department, 68% of rapes go unreported, 98% of rapists will never spend a day in jail or prison, and there are 293,000 victims of rape annually. Meaning, 199,240 rapes go unreported, of the 93,760 rapes that are reported, just over 91,884 are never convicted, and less than 1,900 rapists are put behind bars. But yes, obviously false accusations are the bigger problem here.
https://rainn.org/statistics
Let's talk about the fact that false rape accusations are a borderline-inexistent crime, but every time a false rape accusation is spotted, every-funking-one talks about it. For a single false accusation, there are thousands of actual rapes, with the vast majority of rapists not getting any jail sentence for what they did. And this is only one of many reasons why comparing false rape accusation to actual rape makes no sense to me.
Hence the "just as bad" in the post. I would never argue that anything is worse than rape but i think there are several things that are at that caliber. False rape and murder, for example
This entire argument is asinine. Yes a woman (or man) who falsely accuses some is an ass and should be punished with jail time as well as paying damages ect. But RAPE can completely destroy not only the victim but their family, their future. The psychological effects linger for a lifetime, even if they are lucky enough not to bear the scar that long. It can lead to extreme depression, suicide and psychological break downs. It can destroy a persons ability to trust anyone, including themselves, and make any kind of relationship impossible. In a single violent act someone's entire kife can be ripped away leaving the broken and bleeding.
And then they have to face the "justice system" which mire often than not blames them at least partially.
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· 8 years ago
You are so right because being falsely accused is a cake walk with no life damaging repercussions. It's not like your friends and family question your very being. It's not like society automatically assumes your guilty forcing you to clear your own name even though there's no evidence to support their claim. Dare I go on?
@celticrose both are serious things and we're arguing that both should be treated as such
Most rape victims recover in under a decade. There are some who have forgiven their rapists, and hugged them. Being accused is life-shattering, you are labeled as scum til the day you die. You cant get a job, and your former friends hate you. Both suck.
Why do we need to play "who has it worse"? I'll give you a heads up, nobody wins that game. Instead why don't we have sympathy for both people who are raped and people who are falsely accused of rape (yes, women can also be falsely accused of rape and men can also be raped) and work towards solutions for both violating an innocent person's body and false rape allegations. Instead of whining about "liberals" or "tumblrites" try suggesting solutions to the problems you feel passionate about. Because there is no "better" in those situations. Both are emotionally scarring and permanently damaging. Just a thought.
You know what else ruins your life? Being in jail for longer than it takes for a real victim to recover, being unable to get a job. Being labeled as scum of the earth for something you didn't do. Dying sad and alone because someone felt like lying.
Zipthesilver, how many Take Back the Night marches have you been on? What are you basing this "most victims recover in under a decade" statement on? Because in my considerable experience, this is very much not the case. If I'm mistaken and there is a reputable source available confirming your claim, please point me in that direction.
It's like comparing apples and oranges. One damages you psychologically for the rest of your life, and one damages your reputation for the rest of your life. Some people might find either one worse.
I'm not sure if this is relevant (and the magnitude of the incident is way lower), but once upon a time I was bullied. It wasn't very bad (that's a lie he kicked and threw me off stairs but it was only for five days so whatever) but it was the first (and only time) I was ever bullied so it was a bit of a shock. I could have curled up and sat in my cabin for the entire week or I could have told myself to shut the fuck up and deal with it (in whatever words a 6th grader chu would use). And that's exactly what I did. I dealt with it. Perhaps not in the most reasonable or effective way (I basically tried to ignore him and/or use words to poke at his tough-guy grandstanding because I was weak sauce and couldn't hit back and didn't feel like invoking administration) but I certainly tried my most damnest to deal with it.
Good luck with a conviction though.
They are pretty high up there in terms of offense but while some cases are resolved and they catch the liar, a rape victim was violated in a deep personal manner which they might not ever recover from or never truly reach justice after the other person/people have been sentenced. A false claim doesn't leave that same impact (but it is close).
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jackies-rape-story-was-false-so-why-hasnt-the-media-named-her-by-now/2016/01/11/c1733926-b89e-11e5-b682-4bb4dd403c7d_story.html
http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/08/false-rape-accusation-leads-to-alaska-mans-beating-death/
http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/nyc-meteorologist-admits-fake-rape-claim/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3363227/New-trial-ordered-Denver-man-imprisoned-28-years.html
Do I need to show more?
https://rainn.org/statistics
And then they have to face the "justice system" which mire often than not blames them at least partially.
@celticrose both are serious things and we're arguing that both should be treated as such