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From: jbf@ccieng5.UUCP (just being friendly)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: rape
Message-ID: <202@ccieng5.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Dec-83 23:31:42 EST
Article-I.D.: ccieng5.202
Posted: Thu Dec  8 23:31:42 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Dec-83 22:35:21 EST
Lines: 30


     I think Laura was looking at life more from the man's point of view
in her rape article.  It is true that a woman can be put through quite
a bit without leaving a mark.  However, that hardly justifies convicting
innocent people on flimsy evidence.

    Elizabeth recites the example of a woman who was raped by threatening
her with a knife in her mouth.  Picture yourself on a jury supposed to judge
such a case.  The complainant says that the defendant raped her by brutally
threatening her (with a deadly weapon).  The defendant claims the complainant
has had a clandestine relationship with him for quite a while, and is merely
getting her revenge on him because he doesn't want to marry her (please don't
flame at me for this scenario -- there are many others which may be convincing
depending on more precise circumstances: choose one you like best).

    In the end this is all the evidence you get.  Either one of the stories
could be true.  You have the choice of either possibly letting a rapist go,
or possibly ruining the life of an innocent man even beyond the point that it
has already been damaged by merely being involved in a rape trial.

    I find the second alternative the more horrifying.  I would rather go
through several rapes that left me unscarred but frightened than spend
much of my life in prison, where rape may be the routine.  Most women do not
find the false accusal frightening at all, since they will never be in such
a position.

    I have always avoided the risk of being falsely accused of rape by a very
simple method: the first time I have sex with a girl, I choose a conspicuous
location.  Since many people will notice that she is perfectly willing, any
subsequent accusals of rape will have low credibility.