Rape is a horrendous act that causes, in the vast majority of cases, irreperable longterm mental damage to the victims.
Being falsely accused of rape is a horrendous act that causes, in the vast majority of cases, irreparable long-term mental damage to the victim.
We live in a society that prides itself on "innocent until proven guilty", but this is gradually being turned in to nothing more than a cheesy line for the BBC and other television networks to broadcast in shows when they need to film a dramatic scene in a courtroom and need that punch line. This could be no better illustrated than by a friend of mine who is currently going through the courts for retaliating after being jumped on a night out in Swansea. Only after being hit around 19 times did he retaliate. Let me say that again. He did not retaliate until he had already been assaulted around 19 times and he's looking at 2 to 3 years. That's all I can say on that matter out of respect for him and his family, but take my word for it, the situation is only showing the British legal system for what it's become, a joke smothered in beaurocracy.
One of the reasons I supported this coalition government was its pledge to strengthen our legal system with new legislation protecting defendants (if the start wasn't clue enough I'll be referring primarily to rape suspects) and what a lot of people don't realise was that it would also by proxy help protect victims.
There's no doubt being a victim of rape is a horrifying experience, but so is being falsly accused of it.
From here on out I want to make it clear that I'm not glossing over the magnitude of how horrible being a victim of rape is. I know it, you know it, and well, if you've got this far and don't at least partially understand how terrible being the victim of rape is then your intelligence doesn't rate much higher than an amoeba suffering from downs syndrome. But rape is not going to go away in our lifetime. I'd also bet that it will not go away in some shape or form, ever. So at the risk of sounding like a git, discussing rape victims’ rights is like shagging Jordan. Very risky, yet everyone’s doing it.
So, back to my primary subject matter, the rape suspect. Today the Ministry of Justice confirmed that "the law will not be changed to grant anonymity to men accused of rape in England and Wales". Instead, their proposal is, and I shit you not on this one, "... [The] Press Complaints Commission guidance recommending the media do not identify people before they are charged with rape might be strengthened."
That's like saying to a morbidly obese kid "Here's £20 and there's an all you can eat buffet round the corner, but please don't go there..... Please."
Can you imagine what it must be like to be falsely accused of rape. Regardless of whether you are found to be truly innocent the damage may already be done.
Picture the scene; you're happily married with the 2.4 children that still confuse the hell out of me because I know nobody that has a girl, a boy and a torso living with them. You work in your stereotypical office block in close proximity to many others and your general social life comprises of going round both your wives and your own friends for the occasional glass of wine or binge drink if your welsh.
So one day you came home from work, your better half has set the table and there's a knock at the door. It's the police come to arrest you on suspicion of raping a 17 year old girl.
Now still having a little faith left in humanity, I believe your close friends, wife and kids will likely stand by you the whole time knowing you are innocent. If I'm wrong then that only ads weight to how detrimental to ones life false accusations can be.
Anyway, what about the other 200,000 people that live in your area? That will see you walking about every day? That you work with? How many of them are going to read that newspaper with your face plastered opposite some Swedish 18 year olds ample cleavage and see you as an innocent. How many of them after you have been found to be innocent will read the outcome of the case? If the newspaper goes all out and states 'THIS MAN IS A RAPIST AND ONCE PUNCHED FATHER CHRISTMAS!" how many will read the minute retraction somewhere under the sections devoted to sales of Stanna Stair lifts and good dogs free to a loving home?
Congratulations you are now the face that raped a 17 year old girl.
You go to work to be met with cold stares and cold shoulders. You and possibly your family have abuse thrown at them in the streets, and one night out a drunken lout spots you and decides it's his moral responsibility to punish the person he sees as a rapist.
I'm sure that on balance being a victim of rape with its physical and mental anguish is far FAR worse than being falsely accused. But does that mean we should continue to only protect the victim and not the defendant? The defendant is a victim.
I could write a lot more but for now I'm just leaving you with one word:
Discuss...
Being falsely accused of rape is a horrendous act that causes, in the vast majority of cases, irreparable long-term mental damage to the victim.
We live in a society that prides itself on "innocent until proven guilty", but this is gradually being turned in to nothing more than a cheesy line for the BBC and other television networks to broadcast in shows when they need to film a dramatic scene in a courtroom and need that punch line. This could be no better illustrated than by a friend of mine who is currently going through the courts for retaliating after being jumped on a night out in Swansea. Only after being hit around 19 times did he retaliate. Let me say that again. He did not retaliate until he had already been assaulted around 19 times and he's looking at 2 to 3 years. That's all I can say on that matter out of respect for him and his family, but take my word for it, the situation is only showing the British legal system for what it's become, a joke smothered in beaurocracy.
One of the reasons I supported this coalition government was its pledge to strengthen our legal system with new legislation protecting defendants (if the start wasn't clue enough I'll be referring primarily to rape suspects) and what a lot of people don't realise was that it would also by proxy help protect victims.
There's no doubt being a victim of rape is a horrifying experience, but so is being falsly accused of it.
From here on out I want to make it clear that I'm not glossing over the magnitude of how horrible being a victim of rape is. I know it, you know it, and well, if you've got this far and don't at least partially understand how terrible being the victim of rape is then your intelligence doesn't rate much higher than an amoeba suffering from downs syndrome. But rape is not going to go away in our lifetime. I'd also bet that it will not go away in some shape or form, ever. So at the risk of sounding like a git, discussing rape victims’ rights is like shagging Jordan. Very risky, yet everyone’s doing it.
So, back to my primary subject matter, the rape suspect. Today the Ministry of Justice confirmed that "the law will not be changed to grant anonymity to men accused of rape in England and Wales". Instead, their proposal is, and I shit you not on this one, "... [The] Press Complaints Commission guidance recommending the media do not identify people before they are charged with rape might be strengthened."
That's like saying to a morbidly obese kid "Here's £20 and there's an all you can eat buffet round the corner, but please don't go there..... Please."
Can you imagine what it must be like to be falsely accused of rape. Regardless of whether you are found to be truly innocent the damage may already be done.
Picture the scene; you're happily married with the 2.4 children that still confuse the hell out of me because I know nobody that has a girl, a boy and a torso living with them. You work in your stereotypical office block in close proximity to many others and your general social life comprises of going round both your wives and your own friends for the occasional glass of wine or binge drink if your welsh.
So one day you came home from work, your better half has set the table and there's a knock at the door. It's the police come to arrest you on suspicion of raping a 17 year old girl.
Now still having a little faith left in humanity, I believe your close friends, wife and kids will likely stand by you the whole time knowing you are innocent. If I'm wrong then that only ads weight to how detrimental to ones life false accusations can be.
Anyway, what about the other 200,000 people that live in your area? That will see you walking about every day? That you work with? How many of them are going to read that newspaper with your face plastered opposite some Swedish 18 year olds ample cleavage and see you as an innocent. How many of them after you have been found to be innocent will read the outcome of the case? If the newspaper goes all out and states 'THIS MAN IS A RAPIST AND ONCE PUNCHED FATHER CHRISTMAS!" how many will read the minute retraction somewhere under the sections devoted to sales of Stanna Stair lifts and good dogs free to a loving home?
Congratulations you are now the face that raped a 17 year old girl.
You go to work to be met with cold stares and cold shoulders. You and possibly your family have abuse thrown at them in the streets, and one night out a drunken lout spots you and decides it's his moral responsibility to punish the person he sees as a rapist.
I'm sure that on balance being a victim of rape with its physical and mental anguish is far FAR worse than being falsely accused. But does that mean we should continue to only protect the victim and not the defendant? The defendant is a victim.
I could write a lot more but for now I'm just leaving you with one word:
Discuss...
2 comments:
A fair argument here, somewhat reminiscent of the one about releasing the details of paedophiles many years ago. The British tabloids don't usually have the most reliable sources and very often innocent people get accused of things they had absolutely nothing to do with. Something that comes to mind is the paediotrician who was accused of being a paedophile by the illiterates at the sun.
However in the nature of our times fear is a beautiful tactic to keep power and to make people surrender their basic human rights. Terrorism is one, and being able to publish stories about rape and the like helps create fear too. Sad sign of the times my friend, sad sign of the times.
Actually, the pediatrician who was accused of being a pedophile was just done by one man, who happened to be quite bad at reading.
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