FACTS & MYTHS Pg. 2
STRANGER DANGER
Get aquainted with the facts about rape
Myths (Part 1)
“If a woman has been drinking and flirting with a man I think she is putting herself in greater danger of being raped. How can she, or any man she goes home with, make a proper decision as to whether they are both consenting if they’re drunk?”
- Ed Anderson, 19, from Hull
Actually this is a relatively common view. A 2005 survey for Amnesty International even found that 5% of women, and 3% of men believed a women was “totally responsible” for being raped if she was drunk.
In UK law, this still constitutes something of a grey area (see case study).
As things stand, judges are allowed to use their discretion as to whether the amount of alcohol consumed by both parties may or may not have had an effect on their ability to consent.
However, the issue of alcohol is never even considered in the US, and many believe that it should be of no consequence in UK law either.
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“I think when women falsely report rape it’s probably to get revenge or to get attention"
- James Roswell, 22, from Southampton
In cases where women are found to be making false allegations there are those who believe that revenge and a need for attention (see Jon Collins’ quote on Why Is It So Hard To Secure A Conviction In Rape Cases) are motivating factors.
Money, also, has been suggested by some as a motivating factor (see article “Women call false rape for cash, claims Lord” in News).
However, motives for false rape claims can be varied and numerous. In one case, in Windsor, Ontario, a girl made a false rape claim in order to have an excuse for not attending an exam.
What is important to remember is that not all cases that end in acquittal mean that the woman has lied. In many cases there is simply not enough evidence to prosecute.
Some women make false allegations when they are mentally unstable (as in the Falkowski case, see Reforms). In these circumstances, there is a debate as to whether they should be prosecuted for perjury, as the law says, or treated for their illness.
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