Posted on 02/17/2010 5:20:55 AM PST by FreeManDC
"Oh, I just got raped."
With those five words, Danmell Ndonye turned the lives of four innocent men into a living nightmare. For several days last September, Stalin Felipe, Kevin Taveras, Jesus Ortiz, and Rondell Bedward were publicly branded as rapists, mauled by jail guards, and threatened with 25 years behind bars.
"I'm not even 25 years old. I'm just 19," a relieved Felipe said later, following news that the tryst had been taped on a by-stander's cell phone, which showed the encounter to be entirely (and enthusiastically) consensual.
Afterwards, classmates were "calling my daughter the sister of a rapist," explained Ramiro Taveras, father of one of the falsely accused men. "Unfortunately, everything doesn't stop because the DA says go home and drops the charges."
Ndonye, a freshman at New York's Hofstra University, had been spotted by her new boyfriend following a raunchy bathroom romp, and she didn't want him to think she was a "slut." So she conjured up the rape ruse to conceal the truth.
False accusations of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence are not an anomaly.
Sociologist Eugene Kanin did two studies of rape claims among university students. The first found a 50% false accusation rate, the second reported 41% of women later recanted their stories.
Studies of domestic violence accusations paint a similar picture.
One analysis of protective orders in West Virginia found seven of 10 orders were unnecessary or false. A Massachusetts inquiry found over half of protective order petitions did not even allege physical abuse.
Another study, "Prosecution and Conviction Rates for Intimate Partner Violence," published last year in Criminal Justice Review, found only one-third of persons arrested for domestic violence are convicted of the crime. Considering one million Americans are arrested every year for DV, that's a whale of a lot of persons tossed into the back seat of a squad car without probable cause!
Lawyers are well aware of the problem. Elaine Epstein, former president of the Massachusetts Bar Association, revealed, "Everyone knows that restraining orders and orders to vacate are granted to virtually all who apply." And Casey Gwinn, a nationally-known domestic violence prosecutor, admits, "If we prosecuted everybody for perjury that gets on a witness stand and changes their story, everybody would go to jail."
The federal Violence Against Women Act — VAWA — bears much of the responsibility for this legal travesty. VAWA teaches women to bear false witness in five ways:
First, VAWA subscribes to the dubious proposition that any slight — physical, psychological, or financial — is a form of "violence." That includes raising your voice, furrowing your brow, even sticking out your tongue. In most states, any woman who claims to be "fearful" — no evidence required — is entitled to a protective order.
Second, VAWA-funded public awareness programs bombard the public with images of violent men, leaving women hyper-vigilant and fearful. These feminist indoctrination campaigns dishonestly veil the fact that women are equally likely to strike their male partners. And don't expect them to murmur a peep about former NFL star quarterback Steven McNair, shot four times in the chest by his ex-girlfriend last July.
Third, VAWA hires so-called "domestic violence advocates" to work in police departments and courthouses. These persons coach women to gussy up their stories so judges become convinced they are victims of abuse.
Fourth, the system offers loads of bennies to women who have ascended to the cult-like status as "survivors" of domestic violence. Not only do they get free legal help, they are also entitled to preferential treatment by the family law system, welfare services, and public housing.
Fifth, there are no penalties for women who manipulate the system. If a woman wants to make a man's life miserable, she can keep going back to the courthouse, rehashing her sob-story about being "harassed" or "stalked" or "abused." No evidence is required, not even an allegation of actual violence.
I have known good, upstanding men who have been broken by the calumnies of their vindictive exes. Their reputations savaged and savings depleted, their lives have become filled with court hearings and legal consultations to the point they can no longer find steady employment.
In a disturbing sense, these men are the lucky ones.
Freddie Peacock of Rochester, NY was convicted of rape in 1976 and sentenced to hard time. Six years later he was released on parole. For the next 28 years, Peacock fought to prove his innocence.
Two weeks ago Mr. Peacock became the 250th person in the United States to be exonerated through DNA testing. "Freddie Peacock was released many years ago, but he hasn't been truly free because the cloud of this conviction hung over him," explained Olga Akselrod, the attorney handling his case.
Women who cry wolf make it harder for actual victims of rape.
False accusations of rape needs to be a Felony with harsh penalties.
(but since white men are usually the victims, don’t look for this to happen anytime soon)
While not a complete solution to this particular problem, it would help if people only had sex with partners with whom they are in serious, committed relationships. It would help reduce the number of cases where a man is falsely accused.
In a culture that encourages women to have sex with men they hardly know, often while drunk, there will be many more women who are actually raped and also many more women who regret their actions and are looking for revenge. It is easy to deceive oneself when enraged. The culture needs to change.
This is why it needs to be a felony to make false accusations of RAPE and or Child Abuse
An informative blog on this very issue.
http://falserapesociety.blogspot.com/
The False Rape Society
News and commentary about wrongful accusations of rape and sexual assault
There’s a similar problem with false reports of pedephlia, from what I understand. A large percentage of the cases of false reports are a result of child custody fights and the mom alleges that the father was molesting the child. Mom automatically gets custody and dad has to prove he’s not a pervert.
Right there is a huge part of the problem. Five guys and a gal... out in public... a seventh person getting it on camera.
I’ve stated this before. In the 5 years that I was a First Sergeant before I retired, 4 out of 5 rape investigations in my Squadrons were proven false. Although each time I was informed of an alleged rape I took it as serious as the first, it was always a blow to find out it had been a false accusation.
I always like Jack Nicholson’ answer in the movie (As Good As It Gets (I hope thats right)) When asked how it was possible that was able to think like a woman, Jack said, “I just think like a man, and then I take away responsibility and reason.”
Best friend of mine was accused of rape by a very “loose” woman when we were in college. He didn’t remember much from a night of boozing, but he was adamant that he never touched her.
After over a year of his life completely destroyed by the accusations; loss of athletic scholarships; destruction of his good name; failure in school due to depression; the woman breaks down on the witness stand and confesses to making up the whole thing because he spurned her advances at the party.
His life still hasn’t returned to normal nearly 10 years later, but he sued the girl, her family and even her lawyer for being complicit in a coverup (they had proof she was lying), and he won over $1M in a jury trial. He’s being paid quarterly, but his life is still in tatters.
This sort of garbage is the reason why I didn’t want to become a public school teacher. The militant feminist movement has painted men as neanderthal thugs who abuse women at any chance despite the fact I’ve never raised a hand or even my voice to a woman.
30+ years of investigation let me know that there are real victims of rape and abuse out there who need and deserve as much help as we can give them. It also taught me that innocent men can go to jail for failing the PC test. There are far too many predatory women out their who take no responsibility for their actions.
Little episodes like this are a real threat to national security. They give credence to the Koranic view of women. Rape allegations have always been easy to make, that’s why in a rational world; instead of a PC world, they are so hard to prove.
Keep your pecker in your pants and its hard to get accused by a crazy chick
Simple solution:
Make “Consensual Intimate Relations Contract” vending machines, similar to the “Flight Insurance” vending machines they used to have at airports. Insert a $5 bill, both parties enter their Names & Ages then place their thumbs on a scanner and voila! out pops a “Consensual Intimate Relations Contract”, valid for a 24 hour period beginning 24 hours AFTER the current time stamp on the contract. Better yet, put these in the old “4 Photos for a Buck” booths so you also have a photographic record of the two parties. By the way, all records are court accessible.
The guy is protected from false accusations and they both have 24 hours to think over “Do I really want to do this?”
Who knows, maybe a few users will realized that making a thoughtful, documented, legally binding commitment before hopping into bed is not such a bad idea. Why don’t we make it long term and give it a special name, like “marriage”?
Mileages do vary, don't they. One of the worst cases of dv I ever came across was a woman with a spotless legal history and reputation, who was not only denied all that "free legal help, preferential treatment, welfare, and housing," but was also ignored by authorities whenever she complained that her abuser was taking the meager cash benefit that the county provided, and using it for himself. To clarify: the woman reported to police and welfare authorities whenever she could, and she was offered no help whatsoever. One lucky day she ran into me. I helped her.
The system is heartless and inflexible. I have advocated for all sorts of people who are not getting freebies and protection from abuse.
You can be locked in a basement by an abuser, let out only to go to an occasional interview to assure continued food stamps, and a welfare worker will slash that in half because your abuser won't let you participate in workfare. You can be beaten and starved, and a free clinic physician will write it up as self-mutilation and anorexia, rather than write himself a ticket to testify in court for $0 an hour. You can flee to an abuse shelter, but you can only stay 30 days, after which you must go "home" or rely on public housing, and the waiting list is 10 months. You can leave your abusive residence, but if it is legally owned by someone other than yourself or your mate, you have no legal right to go back in there against the owner's wishes, even for your glasses, your crutches, or your prosthetic leg.
I have seen and heard all these examples, and many more.
Bottom line, being a dv victim is not the same as Queen For A Day. Most certainly not a matter of "ascending to cult-like status."
I also support the strong penalties for false accusations that people have mentioned on this thread. That would also help. I see two aspects:
1) There needs to be a legal incentive to block false accusations based on anger or hurt feelings.
2) There needs to be a return to social behavior that limits accusations based on misunderstandings or errors in judgment.
There are no perfect solutions, but both men and women could contribute to lessening this problem.
A woman who entertains four guys... in the bathroom? A slut? Heaven forbid. Time to find a new girlfriend.
Teach your boys to not be anywhere near a situation where you can be accused.
You are guilty until proven innocent, if you can ever be proved innocent.
Much of my work as an active duty military prosecutor involved allegations of sexual assault (by woman soldiers and by civilians).
The commanders always understood that MOST - yes, MOST - of the allegations were likely consensual sex that the “victim” was later embarrassed by (when friends discovered it) or incensed by (when she realized the guy was now bedding someone new). But commanders know that they have to pretend otherwise if they are to remain in command.
The prosecutors advising the command also knew all this, as did the defense attorneys (many of whom had previously been prosecutors since a good JAG career involves assignments on both sides).
And the judges (normally Lt. Col. & Col.) and juries (panels, as they are called, consisting of those who have served at least 5 years and normally averaging over 15 years of service) knew all this, too.
It is policital correctness gone wild.
It is sick to think that everyone plays along - feeling forced to.
But it is also comforting to think that the players are all in on the game, so at all stages this weighs on the process.
I know that prosecutors would pressure the alleged victims (claiming that they are simply putting them through the same wringer that the defense counsel will when they take the stand as a witness) to force out the weaknesses of the case. This would often result in dropping the charges - with the “victim” quietly acquiescing.
Sadly, these “victims” would not be punished - but their success in that unit was thereafter impossible which usually would lead to them eventuallly leaving the army sooner than otherwise (which is a great thing).
Pretending that women are warriors is an absolute crock of shit. They are absoutely and unequivocally a drag on the mission readiness.
This does not mean that women are not currently doing important work and have not been heroic in battle, but their contributions are far outweighred by the extreme drag they place on efficiency, cohesion and mission readiness.
The armed services should be segregated into all-male and all-female corps.
The fact is, women in the service has - as predicted - destroyed the necessary warrior spirit that is needed in an army. And the inherent stupidity of housing male soldiers (known to get drunk and carouse) in “co-ed” dorms with women - and then acting shocked that there are allegations of sexual assault - is a big part of that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.