Which crime is worse...

[Guest]

Rape, or falsely accusing someone of rape?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9808081/Woman-jailed-for-crying-rape-to-cover-up-cheating-on-her-husband.html

[Signals.Cpl]

Rape, or falsely accusing someone of rape?

http://www.telegraph...er-husband.html

Honestly it would be falsely accusing someone of rape because that makes it all that much harder of a crime to prosecute especially if a women falsely accuses a man of rape and the case is rock solid which gives ammunition rapists and their defence and doubt to legitimate rape victims...

[Canuckistani]

Seem like two sides of the same coin and should have the same consequences to me. Rape destroys the person more on an inner level, false accusations of rape more on a social level (at least in our society). But it's time to stop making excuses for women that make false charges as we do "the poor dear has emotional problems." In the US they've actually handed out severe prison sentences for false allegations, tho nothing like the kind of sentence a rapist would get.

[Topaz]

Since a women can't rape a man, I have to say being raped is worse. The woman carries the act around with her the rest of her life, mentally and physically. plus the chance of being pregnant, which be a constant reminder of the rape. Where a man that is charged with raped and didn't do it, can get a good lawyer and probably beat the charge and short time, he's back to normal live.

[Guest]

The woman in the article got two years in jail, and she was found out. She didn't come clean herself. The man in the case could have been looking at ten years or more, plus the devastation he would see on a social level.

I don't think two years is enough. To me, the reporting is the worse crime, and the reason I think so is because if I had to choose between

1) being raped, and having the life that followed that,

2) spending ten years in jail, losing my family and my job, and having the life that followed that,

I would choose the rape.

But I'm not a woman, and women are usually the victims of rape. Maybe 1) would be worse.

[Signals.Cpl]

The woman in the article got two years in jail, and she was found out. She didn't come clean herself. The man in the case could have been looking at ten years or more, plus the devastation he would see on a social level.

I don't think two years is enough. To me, the reporting is the worse crime, and the reason I think so is because if I had to choose between

1) being raped, and having the life that followed that,

2) spending ten years in jail, losing my family and my job, and having the life that followed that,

I would choose the rape.

But I'm not a woman, and women are usually the victims of rape. Maybe 1) would be worse.

What is your opinion in the grand scheme of things rather than the individual case?

[Guest]

Since a women can't rape a man, I have to say being raped is worse. The woman carries the act around with her the rest of her life, mentally and physically. plus the chance of being pregnant, which be a constant reminder of the rape. Where a man that is charged with raped and didn't do it, can get a good lawyer and probably beat the charge and short time, he's back to normal live.

A woman can rape a man, if she wants to. Check out The Girl with Dragon Tattoo (or Fire or Hornet's Nest, I can't remember which one)

Interesting point though, about beating the charge. I did assume with my question that the report would result in a guilty verdict.

[Guest]

What is your opinion in the grand scheme of things rather than the individual case?

I don't know. I think the end result could vary a great deal. Like I said, I would choose the rape, and by that I mean, that is what I would choose to have done to me. I hope my post above didn't give a different impression.

A woman might have a different opinion.

I'd like to hear what some of the women think, if it's not too disconcerting a question.

Edited January 27, 2013 by bcsapper

[Guest]

Double post

Edited January 27, 2013 by bcsapper

[The_Squid]

Lying about something is not as bad as assaulting someone.

[Guest]

Lying about something is not as bad as assaulting someone.

I'm afraid that's nonsense. If I lied about you and got you hanged for murder, would it be worse to have just tripped you up?

[The_Squid]

I'm afraid that's nonsense. If I lied about you and got you hanged for murder, would it be worse to have just tripped you up?

Talk about nonsense.... That didn't happen in your link. You're saying lying is just as serious as raping someone. Nice.

[Signals.Cpl]

I don't know. I think the end result could vary a great deal. Like I said, I would choose the rape, and by that I mean, that is what I would choose to have done to me. I hope my post above didn't give a different impression.

A woman might have a different opinion.

I'd like to hear what some of the women think, if it's not too disconcerting a question.

We can't determine what is worse unless we have a specific case as in someone being falsely accused of rape and sitting in jail for 10-20 years v. someone being falsely accused of rape and the women admits to her acts before there is jail time, in both cases a lie was told but in one the consequences far outweigh the consequences of the other. A Rapist does damage to his victim, a women who falsely accuses a man of rape does damage to every rape victim and that is why in my opinion falsely accusing someone of rape is far worse not in the individual case but in the grand scheme of things.

[Canuckistani]

I think it's silly to talk about what is worse. They're both bad, and both perps should receive stiff sentences. No more excusing women who lie - it should be vigorously prosecuted.

[Guest]

Talk about nonsense.... That didn't happen in your link.

Neither did rape. Hence the question.

[Guest American Woman]

As has already been pointed out, someone accused of rape has the possibility of being acquitted, but for someone who's been raped, there's no escaping it. As has also already been pointed out, there's the possibility of a pregnancy - and if married, all marriages don't survive such traumas. One could choose to have an abortion, but not everyone could make that choice for themselves. Also, there's the possibility of having contracted an STD, sometimes for life. Or AIDS. And then there's the trauma of reporting it and going through the trial and the rapist might get off - or never get caught - and you know your rapist is still out there.

I don't mean to diminish being accused - especially if there is a conviction. Such accusations have changed men's lives forever. The Duke LaCrosse team comes to mind. I really don't think the two can be compared. They're both terrible.

[Smallc]

Even when acquitted, it doesn't erase what was done.

[Guest]

As has already been pointed out, someone accused of rape has the possibility of being acquitted, but for someone who's been raped, there's no escaping it. As has also already been pointed out, there's the possibility of a pregnancy - and if married, all marriages don't survive such traumas. One could choose to have an abortion, but not everyone could make that choice for themselves. Also, there's the possibility of having contracted an STD, sometimes for life. Or AIDS. And then there's the trauma of reporting it and going through the trial and the rapist might get off - or never get caught - and you know your rapist is still out there.

I don't mean to diminish being accused - especially if there is a conviction. Such accusations have changed men's lives forever. The Duke LaCrosse team comes to mind. I really don't think the two can be compared. They're both terrible.

My point in the OP is that the false accusation of rape does not seem to be treated as seriously as it should, and that the accused can suffer as much as a rape victim. There is no way of knowing if there is anyone currently incarcerated wrongly.

I agree it shouldn't be looked at as a simple comparison. I could have phrased the OP better.

Speaking to my daughter about it, she mentioned that the fear of being found to have falsely accused would make a woman more reluctant to bring a charge after the fact, when physical evidence would no longer exist. Is that a reason to treat the crime more lightly?

[Argus]

Since a women can't rape a man, I have to say being raped is worse. The woman carries the act around with her the rest of her life, mentally and physically. plus the chance of being pregnant, which be a constant reminder of the rape. Where a man that is charged with raped and didn't do it, can get a good lawyer and probably beat the charge and short time, he's back to normal live.

What if he's convicted?

[Argus]

Lying about something is not as bad as assaulting someone.

It is if it destroys their life.

[Guest American Woman]

Speaking to my daughter about it, she mentioned that the fear of being found to have falsely accused would make a woman more reluctant to bring a charge after the fact, when physical evidence would no longer exist. Is that a reason to treat the crime more lightly?

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. She raises a good point. Would fear of being falsely accused of falsely accusing someone of rape make a woman less likely to report it? - especially if she could face criminal charges because of it? It sure could make her less likely to report it. Accusing the wrong person isn't always intentional; mistakes are made.

Is that a reason to treat it more lightly? Looking at both scenarios, in one instance an innocent man, purposely accused, may be convicted. If women are hesitant to report rape because of this, potentially, more rapists would remain on the streets. Should that be a factor? Seems to me there's no easy answer where one or the other isn't unfairly affected.

[Signals.Cpl]

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. She raises a good point. Would fear of being falsely accused of falsely accusing someone of rape make a woman less likely to report it? - especially if she could face criminal charges because of it? It sure could make her less likely to report it. Accusing the wrong person isn't always intentional; mistakes are made.

Is that a reason to treat it more lightly? Looking at both scenarios, in one instance an innocent man, purposely accused, may be convicted. If women are hesitant to report rape because of this, potentially, more rapists would remain on the streets. Should that be a factor? Seems to me there's no easy answer where one or the other isn't unfairly affected.

I don't think that intentionally and falsely accusing a man of rape is the same as mistaking the wrong man for a rape when the women genuinely believes he committed the act, both are terrible but one is terrible because the women knowingly tries to destroy a mans life for her selfish reasons and the other is terrible due to circumstances or incompetent law enforcement as the crime occurred but the guilty party was mistaken.

[Topaz]

What about the new tech. of finding the truth if the woman is/was lying. A lie detector test, even talking to the woman can reveal if she's lying or not.

[Signals.Cpl]

What about the new tech. of finding the truth if the woman is/was lying. A lie detector test, even talking to the woman can reveal if she's lying or not.

How many courts accept lie detectors? I think making the punishment for being caught lying about such incidents pretty harsh would cut down on them.

[Canuckistani]

How many courts accept lie detectors? I think making the punishment for being caught lying about such incidents pretty harsh would cut down on them.

They should be pretty harsh just because it's wrong. But, of course they should not act to prevent women from reporting rapes. So the punishment should only ensue if it is proven that the woman lied. For example, there was a (black) guy on death row in the US for raping a (white) woman. DNA later proved that he could not have done it. But there was no indication the woman lied. She just didn't get a good look at him, or possibly the police pushed her to be more certain than she was or even she can't tell one black man from another. None of those are reasons to prosecute the woman (police may be a different matter). But here's another example - at the university of Colorado, a woman charged a co-worker with rape. It came out that she had consensual sex with him, but didn't want her boyfriend to believe she did. Never the less, the co-worker was fired while the woman retained her job because she had "emotional problems." Another example: a woman who rear ended another driver claimed he raped her. He was a big biker looking guy. Turns out he's a devout Christian and she made it up just to avoid having to pay for the accident. She was not charged, but she certainly should have been.