The awful price of a false rape claim: one man dead, one going to prison for 7 years

Clifford Martin, 19, is heading to prison for accepting the word of two teenage girls that one of them had been sexually assaulted by another 19-year-old man named Cory Headen. Mr. Martin broke into Mr. Headen's home and beat him to death while he was sleeping.

Mr. Headen was, in fact, innocent. He never raped anyone.

At sentencing, the judge wondered why Martin had accepted the girls' words without question.

Because that's what people do, Judge. I ask the same question the judge asked every day. But the fact is, we are constantly told to accept the word of a rape accuser. Our colleges and sexual assault centers preach that women don't lie about rape. Period. The sexual grievance industry, which has enormous political clout, insists that people take the word of a rape accuser without question. Is it so unusual, with that lie drummed into us constantly, that things like this happen? Hot blooded young men have always reacted emotionally to claims of rape. They have always been protective of women and girls above all others. Rape is the worst crime aside from murder, we are told. Why on earth shouldn't we expect a reaction like this to a rape claim?

This terrible tragedy only underscores that the only appropriate course is to teach people to regard every claim of rape with objectivity and that, yes, a significant percentage of women do lie about rape.

The question the story doesn't answer is this: what about the young liars? Did they report their lies to police? Two males have had their lives destroyed as a result of their false rape claim. If they reported their lies to police, they should serve at least as much jail time as the young man who was sentenced.

This case also underscores the tragic truth that once unleashed, a rape lie can destroy lives with a stunning, tragic completeness. Men and boys falsely accused of rape have been beaten, have been fired from their jobs, have seen their businesses destroyed, and have lost their wives and girlfriends. And, yes, some are killed and even kill themselves.

In a most tragic sense, Cory Headen paid the ultimate price just for being born male.

Courtenay man gets 7 years for vigilante killing

A 19-year-old man from Courtenay, B.C., has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a vigilante killing sparked by a false allegation of rape.

Clifford Frederic Martin pleaded guilty to manslaughter after he admitted to beating 19-year-old Cory Headen in the head with a baseball bat as he lay sleeping in his bed.

The incident began last September when a 13-year-old girl and her friend told Martin and his girlfriend that Headen had sexually assaulted her while the two were drinking with some other young people at Headen's home.

Martin broke into Headen's home that night with the girl and his girlfriend and struck Headen three times in the head and torso with an aluminum baseball bat as he lay sleeping in his bed.

Headen was rushed to hospital in critical condition and later died of his injuries. The girl's allegation of rape was later proven untrue.

'Stupid, drunken, immature girls'

In delivering the sentence, Provincial Court Judge Peter Doherty described the teens who accused Headen of rape as "stupid, drunken, immature girls" who delivered a vile message.

Doherty wondered why Martin had accepted their words without question.

The judge imposed a lesser sentence than the nine years requested by the Crown because Martin had no criminal record, co-operated with police and apologized to the victim's family in court.

Outside the court, Martin's lawyer, Robert Mulligan, described the crime as a mistaken judgment that led to a tragedy but said his client's chances for rehabilitation were good since Martin has no criminal record and was truly remorseful for what he did.

Martin's girlfriend, Janelle Peyachew, still faces charges of break and enter, mischief and accessory after the fact to murder. She is due in court on Aug. 26.

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/08/25/bc-vigillante-killing-courtenay-clinton-fredrick-martin.html?ref=rss