Pretty much the title, I’m genuinely curious about the whole situation and not just trolling. Recently, some people I know of got accused of some allegations and it seems like due process goes out as soon as the accusation gets pointed out.

I went to a workshop for sexual conduct hosted by police at my university and what the officers confirmed was pretty much this: when it comes to rape allegations, you’re pretty much guilty until proven innocent.

The reason they said is because when someone goes through a traumatic experience, they tend to forget things or their stories can have inconsistencies because they’re in a different state of mind. That doesn’t mean they’re lying, so they presume the man to be guilty until he can prove his innocence.

I’m genuinely confused because part of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution says that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Is the key wording “beyond a reasonable doubt”?

Also, I understand that there can be differences in every case that can influence outcomes. I’m just speaking generally.

The last thing is that it makes me nervous to even ask a controversial question like this when I’m genuinely curious so I thought this would be a good place to ask.