I think there needs to be a greater aim towards accommodating rape claims and ensuring people who are victims of rape can come forward without feeling as though they won’t be believed or be ridiculed.

Equally, there 100% needs to be a dedication to innocent until being proven otherwise. Not going to pretend it’s an easy thing to solve. Rape evidence can be hard to accquier even if reported immediately after the fact. It’s also not unheard of for accusations to be made without proper basis, and despite innocent being presumed prima facie even an accusation can ruin your life (rightly so, if you are indeed a rapist of course).

It’s a difficult road to tread, but absolutely the right thing to do is foster a society that is not afraid to talk openly about sexual violence. The more open we are as a society to confronting this kind of crime the better the structures will be to deal and ultimately prosecute it correctly.

And I think this goes beyond rape, as well. Things like FGM need to be tackled, and having a society not afraid to tackle it head on can only be a good thing.

(October 11, 2018 at 1:08 pm)RoadRunner79 Wrote:

(October 11, 2018 at 1:06 pm)downbeatplumb Wrote: "evidence of wrong doing on their part" are we still talking rape victims here?

what wrong doing? being drunk while in charge of a vagina.?

I was thinking more like making fraudulent charges against someone.

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(October 11, 2018 at 1:05 pm)Mermaid Wrote: I doubt there are many people who don't agree with this. 

The reality of what actually happens is different though. I urge anyone to try to imagine why a woman would be sexually assaulted and then not report it.

I can understand... but it needs to be realized, that the farther away from the evidence you are, the more difficult it is to do anything about it.  One should also consider reporting it, even if for other people. 

I didn't fact check it, but the daily wire reported about someone who had to go to court for consensual sex, when she later changed her mind.   The Billy Grahm rule is becoming more and more needed all the time, to protect ones self.

.....and here you have the reason women don't report sexual assault.

(October 11, 2018 at 1:28 pm)Jehanne Wrote:

(October 11, 2018 at 9:55 am)RoadRunner79 Wrote: They should report it (and early).  Any evidence should be collected, and it should proceed as the evidence allows.

Wow, RR, I'm impressed; especially, with the part about collecting evidence!

You shouldn’t be really. I think it’s this is based more on faulty starting assumptions.

(October 11, 2018 at 10:25 am)epronovost Wrote: Isn't supposed to be the job of the police and procecution to find evidence and convince a judge or jury of the guilt of someone. If it's not the job of the accused to prove his innocence, it certainly the job of the victim to prove its guilt.

Since it is your job to find evidence and not the job of the police, I will be sure to kill you after victimizing you.

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(October 11, 2018 at 11:15 am)Kit Wrote:

It’s hard to remember each client when she has had so many clients that she is down to Donald trump on her list.

I stand by what I have said a few years ago. A woman could walk around naked pissed drunk, it does NOT excuse someone raping her. It is not a redeeming factor for the rapist.

No woman should be ashamed of reporting a rape.

(October 11, 2018 at 1:31 pm)Pandæmonium Wrote: I think there needs to be a greater aim towards accommodating rape claims and ensuring people who are victims of rape can come forward without feeling as though they won’t be believed or be ridiculed.

Equally, there 100% needs to be a dedication to innocent until being proven otherwise. Not going to pretend it’s an easy thing to solve. Rape evidence can be hard to accquier even if reported immediately after the fact. It’s also not unheard of for accusations to be made without proper basis, and despite innocent being presumed prima facie even an accusation can ruin your life (rightly so, if you are indeed a rapist of course).

It’s a difficult road to tread, but absolutely the right thing to do is foster a society that is not afraid to talk openly about sexual violence. The more open we are as a society to confronting this kind of crime the better the structures will be to deal and ultimately prosecute it correctly.

And I think this goes beyond rape, as well. Things like FGM need to be tackled, and having a society not afraid to tackle it head on can only be a good thing.

There needs to be a dedication to presumption of innocence in criminal law. There need not be a presumption of innocence in the vetting of public officials. It raises legitimate concerns if one candidate is surrounded by a cloud of accusations dating to before the candidacy while another isn’t. There is no right to political career advancement even if the republicans like to think their favorite candidate always do.

(October 11, 2018 at 1:36 pm)LastPoet Wrote: I stand by what I have said a few years ago. A woman could walk around naked pissed drunk, it does NOT excuse someone raping her. It is not a redeeming factor for the rapist.

No woman should be ashamed of reporting a rape.

Shame and being shamed is only one factor. Retaliation, being called a liar, being ignored, being called a whore, being blamed, etc, are also big factors. 
Again, when the president of the united states does it and not one, but two SCOTUS judges are appointed for life even after the reports are made, you know it's the norm rather than an exception.

I assume youre referring to kavanagh? I know nothing about that unfortunately I’m not from the US and don’t know enough about the case to comment.

(October 11, 2018 at 1:31 pm)Mermaid Wrote:

(October 11, 2018 at 1:08 pm)RoadRunner79 Wrote: I was thinking more like making fraudulent charges against someone.

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I can understand... but it needs to be realized, that the farther away from the evidence you are, the more difficult it is to do anything about it.  One should also consider reporting it, even if for other people. 

I didn't fact check it, but the daily wire reported about someone who had to go to court for consensual sex, when she later changed her mind.   The Billy Grahm rule is becoming more and more needed all the time, to protect ones self.

.....and here you have the reason women don't report sexual assault.

Are you familiar with the case?

(October 11, 2018 at 1:05 pm)Mermaid Wrote:

(October 11, 2018 at 1:02 pm)RoadRunner79 Wrote: Well, I'm against such things.   I also think that what the President has said, is often being exaggerated and distorted for politcal reasons.
However even if no one believes them (because of lack of evidence), it's still best to have it reported and any evidence gathered early.  Have it on record at least.  But people should not be shamed unless their is evidence of wrong doing on their part.

I doubt there are many people who don't agree with this. 

The reality of what actually happens is different though. I urge anyone to try to imagine why a woman would be sexually assaulted and then not report it.

Of course. NPR's Hidden Brain podcast has a episode titled "Why Now?" That is both timely and insightful. As I documented above there are some women who lie and scheme, sometimes for the most trivial of reasons. Rape and sexual assault often ruins the lives of the victims. So does spending years in jail as a result of a false accusation. The slogan to believe survivors begs the question because not all the people we are expected to believe were actual victims.