Weigh in on The N&O's decision to name the accuser in the Duke lacrosse case and on whether media should identify claimants in sexual assault and rape cases. (Story link here. Executive editor's blog post here.)
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Naming accusers
Submitted by admin on April 11, 2007 - 3:07pm.
current events | N&O
naming accuser
Submitted by lordofherthighs1 on April 11, 2007 - 6:34pm.
if they wanna play this game...they should not print ANYONES name accuser or accusee. since it is all allegations until a finding is made.....why should it be ok to drag a person thru the mud while the accuser gets to hide.
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Concealing the name of the
Submitted by neilsa on April 11, 2007 - 11:28pm.
Concealing the name of the accuser places that person's privacy interest above the interest of an accused to the presumption of innocence. If we feel compelled to publish the names of the accused before conviction, why not publish the name of the accused at the outset. Shielding the name of the accused encourages true victums to come forward, but also enables persons advancing false accusations. My point is that in balancing the interests, it seems the most precious interest and the only one constitutionally recognized - preserving the presumption of innocence - should take precedence. Thank you.
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Legal doesn't mean right---or safe.
Submitted by raleighlocal on April 11, 2007 - 5:36pm.
Whether the charges have been dropped or not, the woman who brought the charges is still vulnerable to harassment and worse. Not long after the Duke lacrosse case hit the news, the woman and her family received death threats and harassing phone calls. This harassment will most likely intensify since the charges were dropped.
To Texmom:
Perhaps this will stop some of the false allegations that have become prevalent in this day and age.
Rape is a horribly underreported crime, Texmom. Both the FBI and the Centers for Disease Control estimate that less than 2% of rape allegations are false. The National Violence Against Women Survey estimates that only one in five women (20%) ever report their assaults to police. There isn't some big trend of women making up lies about rape to ruin men's lives and careers. In fact, this notion of the vindictive woman is one of the oldest myths about rape, and it's exactly why many women and children don't come forward.
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>>In fact, this notion of
Submitted by carbonlib on April 11, 2007 - 6:18pm.
>>In fact, this notion of the vindictive woman is one of the oldest myths about rape,<<
it doesn't appear to be a myth in this particular case. Crystal is "still vulnerable to harrassment and worse..." because she CHOSE to incite this scam..Rape IS one of the most un-reported crimes, however, that little bitty 2% you're talking about are people's lives.
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re: in fact, this notion of
Submitted by raleighlocal on April 11, 2007 - 6:57pm.
it doesn't appear to be a myth in this particular case.
You don't know that, carbonlib. I don't know that. All we know is that the charges were dropped. But did you know that in 90% of rape cases, there is no physical evidence? No DNA samples, no rape kit evidence, no nothing. Rape prosecution in real life is nothing like what you see on "CSI" or "Law and Order."
Yes, "that little bitty 2%" (your words not mine) are people's lives, but so is the huge enormous 98%. But most people don't care about the ninety-eight percent, in fact society assumes that all women lie about rape. People assumed this woman was lying as soon as the charges were made public. Even most women assume that women are lying about rape. That's how bad victim-blaming is.
I guarantee this---there's gonna be all sorts of sexist name-calling and demonization of the accuser on this very message board. The grossest stereotypes about women are gonna be dragged out here. Now tell me something: do you think that's okay? What if a rape survivor ends up reading the comments on this board? What if she never told anyone about her assault? What is she going to think?
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The above reply is misleading
Submitted by Johntex on April 11, 2007 - 7:03pm.
The reason physical evidence is usually lacking in rape cases is becuase the alleged victim does not come forward immediately. They often shower and change clothes first, destroying valuable evidence.
That was not the case with Mangum. She was given a rape kit in short order.
Raleighlocal is hypocritical to worry about the effects only on women. What about the effects on the lives of these men, who turned out to be completely innocent? What about the effects on their families and even on their classmates who had their lives disrupted by this false claim?
Whatever happened to equality and equal protection udner the law? If the accuser deserves protection then so should the accused.
I think Raleighlocal might like to change the law from "innocent until proven guilty" to "women always tell the truth" or some such nonsense.
Fortunately, in the US, a defender still has the right to confront their accusor in court. If we are going to try these accused persons in the media, then that same right should be applied outside of the court room as well.
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Wow---reality is misleading?
Submitted by raleighlocal on April 11, 2007 - 7:26pm.
Wow---reality is misleading? The work that victim advocacy groups have done for nearly forty years is misleading? The stories of sexual abuse survivors themselves are misleading? Johntex, where do you think I'm getting this information from? I ain't making it up, I promise you.
Do you really think the American legal system is about justice and fairness? Where do you think you live? Look how many people have been let off death row in the past ten years. Look at Darryl Hunt, who spent almost twenty years on NC's death row for a crime he didn't commit. Look at Shaquanda Cotton, who was just released last month from a seven year prison sentence for shoving an adult school employee. Look at Sean Bell's police killing in New York and police brutality cases nationwide. And look at the treatment of alleged victims in most rape and sexual abuse cases. The legal system has never been about justice, for anyone.
I don't believe trying defendants in the media is okay---I think it's wrong as hell. But these men had access to quality lawyers, publicists, and powerful connections, resources that most criminal defendants can only dream of. Plus they have TONS of public support, the potbanger protest notwithstanding. When these guys are as demonized as the accuser has been, you let me know.
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Name Accusers
Submitted by lordofherthighs1 on April 11, 2007 - 6:30pm.
when you can secretly accuse without fear of reprisal lends itself to far more false allegations. Ths woman was allowed to use the so called 'rape shield law' to try and pimp money. She doesnt care what it does to the accused it aint her problem right? she gets to hide. well i for one feel the law should be scrapped enitirely. She should face charges both criminal and civil be fined jailed and her face and name plastered all over the world as a lying two bit ' hoe
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Great---with all this
Submitted by raleighlocal on April 11, 2007 - 7:05pm.
Great---with all this controversy about Don Imus and his racist sexist crap, you just come out and call a Black woman "a lying two bit 'hoe." Thank you so much.
And for your information, this prosecution was never "secret" or "without fear of reprisal." I think death threats and woman-hating insults like yours are enough punishment for one lifetime, don't you?
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Naming accuser
I certainly don't advocate naming actual 'victims' of sexual assault. However, once it is clear that an accuser was not telling the truth, it is only right that their identity is made public, just as those they accuse are publicly known. Perhaps this will stop some of the false allegations that have become prevalent in this day and age.