It makes me angry that a lot of women lie about a serious issue such as domestic assault or rape. It also amazes me that some people do not understand or refuse to acknowledge that women can be violent, liars and abusive. The clause of guilty till proven innocent is already being enforced for men everywhere and women use it every day. The problem is that we’re apparently always supposed to believe a woman when she cries rape. No further evidence needed.
False accusations can have devastating effects on a person’s career and integrity. For example, Uganda’s Dr. Kiiza Besigye, was falsely accused of rape in 2006, and he ended up campaigning for presidency for only three weeks. He was ultimately found innocent after it was determined that the person pressing charges was lying. Despite his innocence, I have had exchanges with some Ugandans that still see him as a ‘’rapist’’ who got away with it.
The reason why people are worried about false rape accusations is that they are so incredibly damaging to most people. It’s difficult for some people to look at you in the same way after such an accusation (false or not). Anyone caught in the grips of a false accusation may have the rest of their life ruined. ‘’Ruined’’ meaning ‘’forever’’.
The most famous case was the American comedian Fatty Arbuckle. Fatty Arbuckle was one of the Silent Era’s most popular comedians. He was a director, a screenwriter, and an actor. He appeared with other top stars of his day, notably Mabel Normand. He mentored Charlie Chaplin and discovered Bob Hope.
Sometimes the false accusation can come at a time when public hysteria is rife for a scandal. On Labour Day weekend, 1921, Arbuckle rented a hotel suite in San Francisco, and threw a party that last several days. In spite of Prohibition, there was drinking at the party. An actress named Virginia Rappe attended the party, along with a friend named Maude Delmont. A week later, Virginia Rappe died from peritonitis. Maude Delmont went to the police and told a story that Virginia Rappe had been raped by Fatty Arbuckle, and his weight burst her bladder, thereby causing her death.
Arbuckle went through three trials and was finally acquitted with an apology from the jury. However, his reputation was ruined. The movie industry decided to practice self-censorship by bringing in Postmaster General Will Hays to be the “movie czar” and set up a code of moral standards for movies. The first act by Will Hays was to ban Fatty Arbuckle from the movies. People were stunned, considering Arbuckle had been acquitted. He went back to the vaudeville circuit, and he found the small-town fans still liked him. He did a little directing in Hollywood under an assumed name. Finally, in 1933, Warner Brothers let him make a few shorts. The response to them was so good, Warner Brothers signed him to make a feature film. Unfortunately, he died of a massive heart attack at age 46 before doing the feature. Arbuckle’s friends had rallied behind him during his ordeal, but the wave of publicity and anti-Hollywood sentiment made the case take on a life of its own.
Arbuckle’s arrest and subsequent trial probably drew more attention and national interest than even OJ Simpson or the Menendez brothers. And this was in the days before television or the internet. Newspapers printed “extras,” and people went to the movies just for the silent newsreel reports. The new medium of radio which experimented with news just months earlier was now becoming major. Thousands of radios were bought by people who wanted news of the trial.
The problem with rape is that often, there are no witnesses, both the victim and the attacker may be drunk, and the biological evidence left behind is fairly ephemeral. Semen traces in the vagina don’t last that long, if the attacker wasn’t smart enough to use a condom and leave no trace at all. And even if the girl can prove that she was raped, then there is the need to proof that the suspect was the one who did it.
In most cases, the only reasonable verdict a court can return is “We don’t have conclusive evidence, therefore he must be assumed innocent”. That standard is so, so important. It is what separates justice from witch hunts and lynch mobs. It must not be compromised.
CONCLUSION
When a woman falsely accuses a man of rape, its devastating but men should insist on telling the truth. As Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘’Truth is generally the best vindication against slander’’.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m all for equal rights. I’m also for equal consequences for people who falsely accuse others regardless of their sex assigned at birth or gender of current identity. A lot of women who falsely accuse men of rape never even apologise for it, and it hurts.
While we believe women, let’s remember that a statistically significant number of them lie. Let’s require they prove their case and teach them how to fight for it, instead of taking away the fight. Because when there is no burden of proof for an accusation, it will become very popular.
That said, every accusation should be taken seriously, good faith should be assumed, and the investigation should be taken to its conclusion. For many cases, however, that isn’t happening, and victims and their advocates are right to be pissed off.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO MEN
Be thoughtful and careful who you date, plan to marry and whom you have sex with. Most of us are better judges of character than we think— trust your instincts and stay clear of women who seem unstable or otherwise raise alarm bells.
Don’t put yourself in a situation that is commonly associated with sexual assault. For example, don’t get drunk at a frat party and then follow a drunk woman into a private area. Don’t “get” a girl drunk with the hope of sex. Don’t hang out with known sexual predators.
Keep your personal record clean. Don’t have a history of sexual harassment or other insulting behaviours towards women. This can only help if you end up in court.
Know and understand what consent is: consent is conscious, mindful, and timely agreement, which means that a very intoxicated or drugged woman cannot consent, that a woman who said yes, a minute ago can change her mind (yes, and so can you), that silence is not necessarily consent, and that if you are ever in any doubt, ask out loud.
If you find yourself in such a situation anyway (someone falsely accuses you), of course seek legal advice, but also stay calm and give everything a chance to settle. Someone who makes a rash accusation may also rashly rescind it later, if the situation hasn’t become too confrontational.
Long story short to women: don’t falsely accuse people. It’s a coward’s move and when you’re proven wrong, you’ll end up with a lot of time in prison.
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