Rape accuser can't remember much? Doesn't seem upset? Situation normal, prosecute at will!

johnmarkley · 2013-06-21T00:00:26+00:00

I would advise against putting too much stock on how upset the alleged victim seems to be. It's actually not too uncommon for people who've been genuinely traumatized to seem unemotional about it. Some people are just particularly reserved, and sometimes actually consciously feeling what it would seem appropriate to feel is a luxury you can't afford, because if you did it would crush you.

I've gotten really pissed off after getting my ass unexpectedly kicked playing XCOM. I get nervous and shaky when I walk into a crowded room. But when I was on the phone with a 911 operator because someone very close to me had just swallowed a bottle of tranquilizers? Ice cold.

Outward manifestations of distress are very diverse. This is especially important for us to remember as MRAs, in a society where men face so much stigma for openly expressing pain or fear. Men will be especially likely to hold in or smother their emotions after a traumatic event, and so seem less upset than many observers would expect a rape victim to be.

Nomenimion · 2013-06-21T01:17:08+00:00

This is rape culture in action. It puts the burden of proving innocence on the victim, and from Steubenville, Ohio, to Notre Dame and beyond, we’ve seen it poison cases and destroy lives.

Back in the day, they called this "innocent until proven guilty" for the accused. It seems times have changed since then.

Quarkster · 2013-06-20T21:23:06+00:00

"I knew this was a truthful report, and I couldn’t prove it. I’m now going to reopen it using these strategies."

I'd be very interested to know how this could yield more evidence in an old case.

And of course there's the 2-8% statistic that's essentially made up. Someone has to do a decent study of that at some point.

7wap · 2013-06-20T21:05:53+00:00

Sensational title aside, I think it's good to train police on what is and what is not normal. It's to everyone's benefit that real rapists are caught and innocent men aren't harassed. Well, everyone but rapists and false accusers I suppose.

Still, I can't help but think that the real goal here is to train police not to question the accuser. The accuser absolutely must be questioned, and ridiculous accusations should certainly be ignored or even prosecuted. If you train police to silence their skepticism, you'll end up with more innocent men in prison.

Title	Rape accuser can't remember much? Doesn't seem upset? Situation normal, prosecute at will!
Author	7wap
Upvotes	23
Comments	20
Date	June 20, 2013 9:03 PM UTC (13 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/1gr3k4/rape_accuser_cant_remember_much_doesnt_seem_upset/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/rape-accuser-cant-remember-much-doesnt-seem-upset.1170608 https://theredarchive.com/post/1170608

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