Hello everyone,

I have been recently thinking about false rape accusations because they are mentioned quite often on the internet. Luckily it doesn't happen where I live (central Europe) or it is not talked about at all. I personally don't know anyone who would have this problem. Still, I follow western media because those problems will eventually get to us as well. It made me think about crime in general.

Why are we paranoid when we see a cop car behind us instead of feeling safe? It's because if they stop us, we see it as an accusation that will likely end in a fine. Also, when people see your car pulled over, they think you broke the law. This creates unhealthy environment where cops are not seen as part of the law but as some unjust force that wants to punish you.

In fact, many actions may be seen as a crime if you follow the law to the letter but they are tolerated because law isn't perfect. But if you get caught, you are marked as a criminal before you get a chance to defend yourself. Even if you are let go, there can be lingering issues, like losing a job because you were involved in an investigation.

In case of false rape accusations, the accusation itself is not a crime. It is an impulse for investigation. The real problem is that is not seen that way by the public. You are marked as a criminal while still in the "innocent until proved guilty" phase. Until judge rules, you shouldn't be even seen as a criminal. Because of this, the real crime is discrimination against the accused. Therefore these, and many more, are crimes commited against the accused before the legal process ends:

  • firing the accused from a job
  • damaging reputation of the accused
  • spreading false claims about the accused
  • cancelling contracts with the accused
  • causing physical or emotional damage to the accused

The accused should have the right to notify the judge about these injustices and the person involved should become part of the legal process. The judge would then give them a heavy fine or force them to reverse the damage. Of course if the judge finds out beyond reasonable doubt that the accusation was made up with the intention of harming the accused, it should be seen as a crime on its own and handled accordingly.

It sounds crazy that a real rape victim would have to act as if the perpetrator was innocent but it would be just. If this was actually enforced, rape victims could feel safe accusing whoever they want.

So what do you think? Is this the right direction or am I missing something?