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From: dls@mtgzz.UUCP (d.l.skran)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Why men worry about being falsely accused
Message-ID: <814@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Jun-85 14:33:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtgzz.814
Posted: Fri Jun  7 14:33:47 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Jun-85 03:58:22 EDT
References: <809@mtgzz.UUCP>, <169@lzwi.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Middletown NJ
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Sounds to me like Carol Jackson & I agree: rape should
be treated by the same standards as any other crime. I
agree this means prohibiting questions like "are you a virgin"
and so on. In fact, I mentioned in the original posting
that rape laws did need reform.

It was never my intention to suggest that I had any evidence
that the chances of being falsely accused of rape were
any greater than for any other crime.

However, I think men fear being falsely accused of rape
for three reasons:
	1)They *know* women exist who are mad at them for one reason 
	or another.
	2)They see little that they could offer by way of a defense,
	especially if they have had some sort of relationship
	with the person in the past.
	3)They can readily imagine a your word against mine situation,
	no conviction, and then the total destruction of their
	reputation, possible loss of job, etc. because everyone they know
	will take sides.

Hence, when someone says something like "as soon as she says
no, sex becomes rape," it tends to scare men spitless. 

We all agree rape is a crime of violence. It is not the no that
makes it a crime so much as the force used to overcome the no. As long
as we all agree that the same rules of evidence are used for rape
as for all crimes, I, and I think most men, have no problem
with the situation.

Nothing I have said is intended to belittle the suffering of
rape victims. However, I am trying to shed some light on why
men may be extremely defensive, and refuse to acknowledge the
suffering of rape victims.

Dale

All opinions are my own, and not those of AT&T.