The Daily Cardinal: The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Don’t forget victims of false rape accusations
Although rape victims get the most coverage, people often forget about those falsely accused of rape and the struggles they go through.
By Pierce Harlan and
E. Steven Berkimer
Guest Editorial
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Unfortunately, much of the “awareness” raised about a crime that victimizes all too many women is unnecessarily politicized and factually incorrect.
For reasons that have nothing to do with aiding rape victims and everything to do with advancing a larger political agenda, too many of the persons who dominate the public discourse about sexual assault feel it is necessary to insist that false rape claims are a myth.
We write for one of the few websites in America devoted exclusively to giving voice to the persons wrongly accused of sexual assault, The False Rape Society.
False rape claims are America’s taboo epidemic, and we chronicle news of false rape claims on a daily basis. We receive heart-wrenching emails, especially from mothers of young men who have been falsely accused. One young man recently told us our website stopped him from committing suicide. That is an awful burden to put on one little website, but these people have nowhere else to turn.
But our efforts aren’t universally applauded, as you can imagine. Our site is often dismissed by some feminists as unnecessary, to put it charitably, because, we are told, women don’t lie about rape. Financially interested sexual assault advocates habitually insist that false rape accusations account for only 2 percent of all reported sexual assaults, which, they say, is no higher than false reports for other crimes, despite both the absence of any evidential support for this claim, and the presence of irrefutable evidence debunking it. Such evidence can be found in Edward Greer’s “The Truth Behind Legal Dominance Feminism’s ‘Two Percent False Rape Claim’ Figure,” Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review from 2000, which traced the 2-percent canard to its baseless origin.
The fact is, every serious and unbiased study ever conducted on the subject shows that false rape claims are a serious problem. The numbers vary from study to study, but they are always multiple times the sacrosanct 2-percent figure. Purdue sociology professor Eugene Kanin studied a mid-size midwestern city over the course of nine years and found that 41 percent of all rape claims were false. Kanin subsequently studied two large state universities and found that in three years, 50 percent of the rapes reported to campus police were determined to be false. In a separate 1985 study of 556 rape allegations, 27 percent of the accusers recanted, and an independent evaluation revealed a false accusation rate of 60 percent.
Police officers sometimes note in a moment of candor that a significant percentage of rape claims are false, but false claims generally are neither publicized nor severely punished, if they are punished at all, for fear of putting off women from reporting actual rapes.
So where does all this leave the men and boys falsely accused of rape? They are invisible collateral damage in the war on rape; virtually no one is looking out for their interests despite the grievous harm many suffer. By tolerating false claims in the interest of not putting off actual rape victims, by not affording the presumed innocent the same anonymity their accusers receive, we have declared open season on the hapless men and boys who come within the crosshairs of women who would lie about rape, often at grave cost. Men and boys falsely accused of rape have been beaten and killed and have killed themselves; they’ve been fired from their jobs and lost their businesses; they’ve suffered from depression; they’ve lost their wives, their girlfriends and have been permanently alienated from their friends. Rarely do they ever come out of it whole, and for many, the ghost of a false rape claim trails them for the rest of their lives.
“It was the most horrible thing I have ever been through in my life ... I thought I wasn’t going to see my kids again,” said Darren Ball, who became so distraught over the lies told about him that he tried to throw himself into traffic. Concerned passers-by pulled him to safety. The stigma of being accused of rape never quite goes away, as Darren explained: “I should have been cleared completely, but I still get funny looks from people. Months after the charges were dropped, people were still saying ‘have you heard, we’ve got a rapist living down the road.’”
Darren’s toll was emotional. Many men suffer horrific physical tolls as well. John Chalmers has to learn everything over again after being attacked by a man who wrongly believed Mr. Chalmers sexually assaulted his sister. It has left John with devastating brain injuries that have forced him to step down from a senior position at his family’s bakery.
But at least Mr. Chalmers has the opportunity to restore himself to a semblance of his former self. Other young men aren’t so lucky. Sumbo Owoiya, 18, was gunned down after Joseph Sullivan’s teenage girlfriend lied and told Sullivan that Mr. Owoiya had raped her. Sullivan and an armed accomplice drove to the apartment where Mr. Owoiya’s family lived and knocked on the door. When Mr. Owoiya looked through the peep-hole, the gunman fired a shot that hit Mr. Owoiya in the stomach and lodged in his spine. He died a short time later.
Rape is a horrific thing, but a false rape accusation can be similarly life-changing and just as terrible. The false rape claim epidemic will only be controlled when we look upon those who levy false accusations with the same disdain that we look upon rapists, and demand that their lies not be tolerated. Let us be brutally frank: As it stands, we are ignoring a significant class of victims because, when it comes to this issue, they were born into a politically incorrect gender. By any measure, denigrating the experience of the wrongly accused by dismissing their victimization as a “myth” or as unworthy of our discussion, much less our protection, is not merely dishonest but morally grotesque.
Link: http://www.dailycardinal.com/article/23007
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23 comments:
you guys are heroes, giving a voice to guys that cannot speak for themselves.
Thanks, anonymous. This is going to upset some people -- but the problem is, it's entire factual.
I'd echo the anonymous poster in congratulating you guys for your hard work in getting the word out.
A guest editorial in a college newspaper is no small matter, given that if "hit's" the same demographic that is typically targeted for rape hysteria mythology.
Thanks, slwerner. The truth shouldn't hurt anyone, of course. And there's no reason why the truth should hurt the effort to educate people about rape. Nothing would help the cause of rape victims better than if the liars were stopped dead in their tracks and people really believed that women don't lie about rape. But the liars aren't stopped, and pretending that they are only makes your advocacy look foolish in light of the overwhelming evidence of lie after lie after lie.
You want to help rape victims? Go after the liars.
"A guest editorial in a college newspaper is no small matter, given that if "hit's" the same demographic that is typically targeted for rape hysteria mythology."
scott say's..i will second that, for it is in the universities that are most subject to the faulty and inflammatory misinformation.
Anon and Slwerner,
Thank you. There is a post on Glenn's site right now that GG is doing exaclty what is being talked about in the article. Gloss over the harm that is done by a false accusation, and start complaining that not enough is done about rape. THAT is exaclty what we are fighting against at this website. Those who are falsely accused need a voice, we are one of the few that are giving that voice a place to be heard. To all those that post here, or just stop by and read the horror stories, THANK YOU for allowing us to give voice to the individuals falsely accused. Without you, we would a small voice in a crowd. You allow that voice to grow in volume, until it can be heard.
E. Steven Berkimer
"There is a post on Glenn's site right now that GG is doing exaclty what is being talked about in the article. Gloss over the harm that is done by a false accusation, and start complaining that not enough is done about rape."I tried to post a response there, but, as seems to happen will virtually all my posts at Glenn's site anymore, it gets shoved into the slwerner Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation. queue - from which some just simply disappear (actually, the only ones that get wiped out altogether seem to be ones in response to GG).
I'm starting to think I must have been put on a list for having disagreed with Robert Franklin (right before it started happening).
I'm not sure why it need moderating, but here it is - maybe some one else can see what might be triggering the holdup:
Georgia Girl - "This entire thread is so frustrating for me.
I know some women are guilty of false accusations, but I believe most women are not."And, the vast, vast majority of men ARE NOT RAPISTS! But this HUGE factoid never seems to give you pause before you start calling for the male victims of false accusation to be ignored so that more effort can be made to prevent women from becoming victims.
No one here wants people to become victims - men or women. And, frankly, there is a whole lot being done to prevent and prosecute real instance of men raping women (not so much for men raping men, women raping women, nor women raping men).
Perhaps it has escaped you attention just how much society and it men do to protect women from rape.
The laws are heavily biases against any man accused of raping a women. For this crime, unlike others, the man is assumed innocent and must make Herculean efforts to try to clear himself (often exhausting every penny of his personal resources). Women are given state-funded counseling and support services. And, law enforcement puts no small effort into protecting women, tracking down and apprehending accused (or suspected) rapists, and investigating EVERY such claim they receive.
A woman alleging a rape is given a great deal of deference, owing to the fragile emotional state she is assumed to be in (even if she lying through her teeth). If an accused man is found to be innocent, he gets nothing more than, "You're free to go".
And, do stop minimizing the rape-prevention efforts of men as private citizens.
I, myself, during my college years, volunteered to give up a good number of my evenings to be on call to hustle my a** to anywhere a woman was in order to escort her home safely, as part of what I believed to be a worthy effort to keep women safe (I’m sure a large percentage of college men still do the same).
And, to this day, if I hear a women crying for help, or a rape whistle, you can bet I’ll be sprinting to get to her.
And, I’m not some rare case. I’m the typical man. We willing respond, even putting our selves at considerable risk for the safety of women – and we expect nothing in return for doing so. Get a clue, would you?
And, well let’s not forget the truly valiant efforts women make to help prevent rapes. Let, peruse the bullet points of their rape prevention efforts, shall we?
• Don’t tell us where we can’t go!
• Don’t tell us what to wear!
• Don’t tell us not to get drunk!
• Don’t tell us not to take drugs!
• Don’t tell us not to go wild at parties!
• Don’t tell us to keep our clothes on!
• Don’t tell us who we shouldn’t hook-up with!
• Don’t tell us who we cannot go home with!
• Don’t try to tell us anything!
Yep, that’s a mighty fine list of efforts women are making to keep themselves safe.
But, apparently you still demand men make even greater efforts to ensure the safety of reckless women. And that ever more of our recourse be spent doing so.
Well, it’s high time that we also take to time to treat our own wounded, and keep others from falling victim as well. Yes, I talking about helping the victims of false rape accusations, and working to reduce such false allegations. Do so DOES NOT imply that we don’t care about women and the issue of rape, nor that we would ever want a real rapist to not be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
It’s just that, at the most basic level, a crime is a crime, an injustice is an injustice, a victim is a victim, and wrong is still wrong – even when done by a woman.
Is there something in that which is just too difficult for you to understand?
We are capable of seeing all injustice, and excusing none.
So, if you find it so distressing every time the very real issue of false rapes comes up, why not try staying out of the mix if, as it seems to most here, that all you really want to do is redirect the discussion away from male victims to women?
Thank you, slwerner. Wonderful comment.
Here is my comment in response to several on the U. of Wisconsin site -- I won't print the comments I'm responding to because they are nonsense:
I will briefly resond to EricaA and student org member:
Sadly, and ironically, EricaA’s note underscores the very point our editorial was trying to make.
Our editorial sought to raise awareness that a class of victims of a terrible crime - false rape reporting - is treated as little better than flotsam, unfortunate but necessary collateral damage in the war on rape.
EricaA proved our point far better than we ever could by angrily dismissing out of hand the victimization of the falsely accused, in effect declaring, mirabile dictu, that the countless men and boys falsely accused of rape and often stigmatized for life for something they didn’t do are not deserving of a voice. Instead EricaA insists that we engage in some sort of twisted Oppression Olympics – rape victims versus false rape claim victims – and she declares “her side” the Gold Medal winner by, in effect, definitively pronouncing that "rape is a more serious problem than false rape claims." Therefore, only rape victims are deserving of a voice in EricaA’s world. Victims of false rape claims can just go to hell.
We, of course, have no interest in participating in any such Oppression Olympics. We support rape victims even though people like ErciaA don’t support victims of false rape claims. Rape victims and the women who lie about rape are the proverbial apples and oranges. To support the former does not mean we shouldn’t hold the latter in contempt. But persons like EricaA unwittingly become false rape claim apologists by refusing to acknowledge that rape liars hurt innocent men and boys as well as actual rape victims. In fact, no one hurts actual rape victims more than the women who lie about rape.
I do not have time to chronicle all the errors in your reasoning, but I will briefly respond to your comments: “False” means exactly what it says. It has a clear and unambiguous meaning. A false claim means that we know the claim was fabricated; it does not refer to misidentification. But even beyond the percentage of claims we know are “false,” it is fair to say that a sizeable percentage of the remainder of rape claims simply didn’t happen. Here is why: A certain percentage of rape claims are demonstrably false and are often quickly dismissed. On the other end, a small percentage of rape claims end in conviction for rape. In between, the rest are dismissed somewhere along the way for a variety of reasons, often because of insufficient evidence (which means that there is not enough evidence to make out one or more elements of the cause of action – which is hardly a technicality). Rape is often difficult to disprove definitely because the only evidence may be of the “he said/she said” variety. Of the claims that fall in that middle group – not dismissed early on as false and that don’t end in conviction—it is fair to say that a sizeable percentage were not actual rapes. How could it be otherwise? Would it be fair, or just, or accurate, to assume that a man who is quickly exonerated of rape by a jury is a probable rapist? Of course not. That conclusion is all the more compelling for most of the rape claims dismissed earlier, without a trial – where the prosecutor didn’t even think there was a chance for conviction.
And, yes, it is fair to say that some rape victims don’t report, although it is impossible to say how many (it is perhaps fewer than the number of false rape claims); it is also fair to say that a small percentage of recantations are not factually accurate - people don’t automatically accept all recantations, and the vast majority are only made after the police have concluded that the rape did not occur. It is also fair to say that some men or boys confess to rape are not actual rapists - innumerable cases document this fact.
Finally, you, EricaA, and you alone, have labeled women “malicious liars who cry rape when it suits them.” We never did. Just as we don’t like it when some suggest that all men are potential rapists, we would never unfairly stereotype women in this vile manner. I would go so far as to say that the most amazing thing about false rape claims is that there aren’t more of them, given how easy they are to make. The very physical act that constitutes the alleged crime is precisely the same act that has been performed countless times every minute of every day of every year since the beginning of time the world over—as an act of love, as an act of procreation. To transmogrify this most fundamental human act into a claim of rape, all a woman needs to do is re-characterize it as nonconsensual. That’s it. The fact that it doesn’t happen a hell of a lot more than it does speaks to the good will of the vast majority of women.
student org member was so irate about our editorial that one post couldn’t contain all her rage, she had to post multiple diatribes. Her comments are the literary equivalent of a hissy fit and merit no serious refutation. But I thank her for the libel by declaring, with no authority beyond her serene and wholly uninformed ipse dixit, that our editorial was in direct contradiction of all the credible studies. I am, of course, aware of all the credible studies, and your assertion is simply wrong, to put it politely.
Sadly, these sorts of angry reactions are exactly what we are talking about. Rape has become so terribly gender-politicized that Prof. Alan Dershowitz was accused of sexual harassment for even raising the possibility of false rape claims in one of his classes. When it comes to this issue, we are stranded in an era where ideology trumps facts; feelings trump reason; and any hint that, yes, males sometimes are victimized by false rape claims (and that is incontrovertible face) is greeted by vicious and childish renunciations. Your anger is wholly misplaced. There is no reason why we can’t all support rape victims AND victims of false rape claims. What if it were your boyfriend of father or brother falsely accused of rape, would you be so quick to denounce and belittle us? Instead of demonizing those of us who speak for the latter, you would do well to combat the rape liars who make it more and more difficult for true rape victims to come forward—some won’t report because they are fearful they won’t be believed. We are not your enemy; the false rape claimants are.
I have waited for over 11 years for my son's false accuser to recant - to come forward and tell the truth. For all the horrifying consequences of her lies - he was forced to accept an Alford plea go through 'therapy' and register as a sex offender from age 16 to present - I cringe knowing if women ARE severely punished for false accusations, the rare few that do come forward will never do so.
There was no DNA in my son's case - it was false how could there be? There is nothing to prove his innocence except the hope that someday this girl grows a conscience and comes forward with the truth. Even then it's difficult to exonerate.
God help us.
slwerner and Pierce,
I tried to register for an account, and it won't let me. Great points all. The responses so far from EricaA and student org member on that site, are exactly what the problem is. They refuse to acknowledge those damaged by a false claim. The "women only" as victim narrative is so deeply ingrained at this point, that it will be a titanic struggle to overcome. The removal of the feminist indoctrination that occurs in our educational system should be a primary step in this.
The poster student org member, is a good example. It appears to be a male, and he thinks we are just spouting nonsense, but claims to have the "studies" that prove us wrong, but fails to provide any evidence of such studies. As Pirce stated in the reply, it's hogwash.
Anonymous,
I'm sorry your son had/has to go through this. If you would, we would be interested in telling the story. We would understand, if you didn't want to, but until more stories are published, the false rape deniers will continue to control much of the debate. We can be contacted at thefrs@ymail.com if you so choose. Our best to you and yours.
Congratulations on the 'Daily Cardinal' guest editorial Pierce Harlan and E. Steven Berkimer.
I just wish you guys would consider writing a piece on false rape for the BBC news website here in the UK.
The BBC seem to be coming around to the idea that women do infact commit these sorts of crimes.
A few months ago, the BBC wrote a piece on domestic violence here in the UK, based on newly released figures, and the opinion of an organisation that helps male victims of domestic abuse. The BBC was incredibly fair and balanced, going as far to suggest that perhaps female on male violence was taboo and vastly unreported.
Also, see this piece on female pedophilia, which was on their front page RSS news feed yesterday:
'Are there women paedophiles?'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8022861.stm
BBC news is highly regarded here in the UK, and covers news stories from around the world, including 'magazine' pieces, which, while are not 'breaking news' as such, are still included in the main frontpage news and RSS feed from time to time.
By getting an article onto the BBC's news website, it is quite possible that you could get a huge number of readers here, and help highlight the problem not only in the US but here in the UK.
SteveUK, I think that's a fine idea -- we'll work on one, and if the BBC won't print it, somebody will. Thanks for the sugggestion.
As a follow up, I was able to register, using the name chad. I have left a comment on the site. It reads as follows:
Perhaps, student org member, it is because 95% of the time, it is women who use the same refutations you attempted to use. Pierce has already covered that, so no need for me to do so. However, as to the affiliation, what does that matter? I thought you were trying to get an education. That means listening to opposing points of view as well. Otherwise, it’s indoctrination, not education. If you are male, I hope you are never on the receiving end of a false accusation. I would just caution you to keep this discussion in mind, the next time you hook up with someone. It can have lifelong damaging repercussions.
krant – thank you for your level headed response. Those with such negative views, are making an argument that is akin to saying that since I support someone who was falsely accused of theft, I don’t support those who have been robbed. It’s a fallacious argument, and only intends to steer the argument away from the topic, False Rape Accusations.
Unfortunately, men are still unable to be seen by the majority as victims. Like EricaA, I will use an estimate (which can’t be backed up), and state that it is estimated that more men are raped, due to prison rape, than women in the United States in any given year. But it can’t be proven, because just like all those rapes, they aren’t reported, so there is no honest way to say what the numbers are. It’s all guesswork. And this is an area that no guesswork should be involved. Too much is at risk.
All the best.
E. Steven Berkimer
anonymous says
"I cringe knowing if women ARE severely punished for false accusations, the rare few that do come forward will never do so."
i say, this is the feminist justification for not charging false rape accusers, and for the faulty and inflammatory 2% false rape accusation number.
This is a faulty reasoning for manufacturing the 2% false rape number, is enabling false rape accusers to lie to the law enforcement community whenever they want to.
Anonymous said...
" I have waited for over 11 years for my son's false accuser to recant - to come forward and tell the truth. For all the horrifying consequences of her lies - he was forced to accept an Alford plea go through 'therapy' and register as a sex offender from age 16 to present - I cringe knowing if women ARE severely punished for false accusations, the rare few that do come forward will never do so.
There was no DNA in my son's case - it was false how could there be? There is nothing to prove his innocence except the hope that someday this girl grows a conscience and comes forward with the truth. Even then it's difficult to exonerate.
God help us. "
Anon, have you tried contacting this organization?
http://www.innocenceproject.org/
I applaud everything all of you have stated. Rape is considered a violent crime. It is said that it causes harm and takes away from it's victim's. I have read many posts where women who claim to have been victims of rape and sexual assault continuously state that these crimes are not about sex but, violence and control. Since rape and sexual assault are considered violent crimes, I propose that false accusation of any violent crime(s) are, in them selves, violent crimes. It does not matter if the violent crime someone is accused of is of a sexual nature or not, falsely accusing someone of any violent crime is an act of violence using the laws and the law enforcement community as weapons to carry out the violent crime.
Oh, and victim's advocates are perhaps, sometimes, the accomplices to the crime(s) committed by false accusers. I hope that what I have stated makes some kind of sense, as I am still ecstatic about everything all of you have said. Thank you all.
I believe the editorial will have lasting and unmistakable impact on the students, and anyone else who has read it. Congratulations !
The notorious reputation of UW-Madison is well known to me. Getting that piece published in the "Cardinal" was a coup of epic proportions, and the editor must be a stalwart chap indeed, to let such a thing slip by on his watch. It surely is nice to have 'fifth columnists' in the right place though, ennit? ;)
Congratulations upon finding such a "columnist", and lining up the pins and bowling a strike! (Do I mix my metaphors..?)
The FRS enterprise has been snowballing steadily since its inception; this may be the big break that puts it on the map in a big way!
Gosh, I wonder if they are crucifying that editor now, on the campus??? ;)
Nobody's opinion is more valued here than Fidelbogen's -- and he also happens to be the last person I'd want to mess with!
Thanks, F!
Last week, the Seattle Weekly published an article about false rape claims, titled The Lie That "Just Happens"..
It's online here:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/c74uxx
It's funny, but I learned about this NOT from surfing the web, but rather the old-fashioned way: I spotted it on a magazine rack! So I immediately grabbed a copy. (They're free.)
The article itself was rather tame stuff by my standards, but the fact that it was printed AT ALL is, to my mind, the significant thing!
The Seattle Weekly can be broadly described as "left-progressive", although I am sure some people might dispute that - especially now!
Here is a feminist response, from a blog called "The Curvature":
http://preview.tinyurl.com/dcsavd
Anyway, at the risk of being a repetitious bore, let me repeat what I always say:
It DOESN'T EVEN MATTER what anybody thinks the actual percentage of false accusations "really" is.
The only thing that REALLY matters, is the body of evidence presented at trial.
Do they make a credible case, or don't they??That is ALL THAT MATTERS. Does the prosecution have a case? Yea or nay?And most of this other stuff that they drag into the conversation is distractionary bullshit which confuses the issue!
Now, the thing that makes rape cases inherently difficult, is that most rapists are mighty careful about not raping in front of witnesses!
SO. . . that means you end up with only 2 witnesses: the plaintiff and the defendent!PLUS: In far too many cases, the forensic evidence proves little or nothing of prosecutorial value. And sometimes, there is NO forensic evidence at all!!Which means, that far too often, the entire outcome of the case hangs upon nothing better than the infamous "he said-she said" impasse.
And when it gets that point, what must we do?
We must THROW THE CASE OUT OF COURT!It's simple. It ain't rocket science!
THROW THE CASE OUT OF COURT!(Actually, it should have been filtered out even before it reached the court stage. . .)
Jeeminy christmas!! If I was on the jury in such a trial as that, I would HANG that jury!! With extreme prejudice. Dame Justice is expected to be impartial; she will NOT load that balance beam in favor of female testimony on my watch!! No sir!!
Evidence, man! It's all about evidence!!
If the evidence is insufficient to convict,then you set the defendent at liberty. What part of that statement is insufficiently clear?
And I'm terribly, terribly, terribly sorry, but "he said-she said" simply does not cut the mustard!!!
Not now, not ever, not NEVER!!
Case dismissed. Hammer down!
Thank You for this website and your desire to help the falsely accused!
This is from a mother of a 17yr old who is being accused by a 19yr female. The stress, depression and withdraw from family-friends-school-church-job; I have seen my son go through in the last 6mths is painful for us to watch.
A once outgoing young man full of life and looking forward to his Sr. yr. To an unhappy Sr. with no outlook for his future.
Your website help Him (come back to life) to see he is not the only one, and those women do in time get caught in lies.
Having this site is great - on another note I can say 30yrs ago I was a true-victim and I raised my son to respect women.
False Rape is on the raise and to me that is sad - these women needs to be hold accountable for their own actions for doing such acts themselfs. This is a disgrace to the Real Victims Circle!!
Bless You & Keep Up The Work
PS- we have not gone to court yet we will be at end of mth.
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