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Kevin Spacey cleared over all sexual assault charges (www.bbc.co.uk)

submitted 1 year ago by Dazza@lemmy.world to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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[-] Chetzemoka@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

You're living in a dream land if you think going to the police with nothing more than "yes I went over to his house consensually and it turned bad from there" is likely to result in a legal prosecution.

[-] ahugenerd@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

Sorry to burst your bubble, but this has actually happened. The case I know of, personally, involved a bar owner. He was exonerated after a few years being dragged through the mud, but he ended up having to shut down his bar and move out of town to be left alone. This stuff happens.

Do I have a better alternative? No, it's a complex issue and we definitely don't want to victim blame, but we also don't want to destroy people's lives over just allegations. It's a delicate balance. I think one thing we could do, at very least, is to actually stand by the innocent until proven guilty ideal and not publish the identity of the accused until a verdict comes out. This is the way it is in most of Europe and a "perp walk" happening like it does in the US would free highly illegal.

[-] MeetInPotatoes@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

I've given a lot of thought to this issue in the past and I think it all boils down to one indisputable fact:

"You just believe her" is completely at odds with "innocent until proven guilty."

"We should believe women" is a laudable phrase, and it makes us feel good to say it, but men are victims as well, especially trans men. "We should believe victims" would be better, but it is a begging-the-question fallacy, it assumes the victimhood is true. The people who made that not possible are specifically the people who have made false allegations in the past.

[-] Chetzemoka@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

It is far, far more common for women who allege to be completely ignored, ridiculed, dragged through the mud should they choose to pursue charges. That's a simple fact of the world. RAPE IS A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN FALSE RAPE ACCUSATIONS.

https://www.rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/sex-and-love/a18799799/sexaul-assault-reporting/

[-] ahugenerd@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

I'm not denying what you're saying, I'm saying both are a problem and advocating for not throwing out the baby with the bath water. There must be a way to adjust our system to account for both cases, no? Or would that be objectionable to you somehow?