After nearly 20 years, Crystal Mangum recanted testimony in which she accused three Duke lacrosse players of raping her. Shocking? Yes and no. Every year, hundreds of women give false testimony against their alleged rapist and never right the wrong. And… usually the person they accuse is someone famous or wealthy or both.
As a spousal rape survivor and as the mother of a rape survivor, whenever news of a suspected assault hits the airwaves, my antennae go up. If the circumstances of the rape are less than clear, I am inclined to play Devil’s Advocate – especially if the accused is in a position of power. It is not that I believe people in those positions are not capable of rape, but rather I question why they would jeopardize those positions by assaulting a woman.
On May 14, 2011, former head of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn was accused of the assault and attempted rape of a Manhattan hotel housekeeper. In the last decade, many such accusations against prominent man have been levied. In 2014, sitcom star Bill Cosby was charged with having assaulted dozens of women during his career. In 2018, now Supreme Court Justice Brett Cavanaugh was accused of committing rape in 1982. Currently, Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense is under a microscope for an assault that supposedly happened in 2017. And so on and so on and so on.
When news reports such as these hit the airways, I always have my doubts. Where are the accusations against the mailmen, mechanics, trash collectors and other less financially secure men in the world. Why wait years to report the crime?
Call me jaded but, with the increasing number of false rape claims against the rich and famous, it stands to reason that similar questions should be a part of every investigation into guilt or innocence. Ah, there’s the rub – powerful men are convicted in the media by politicians and reporters more interested in proving their guilt than proving their innocence. The media, or what passes for the media these days, should not be interested in proving anything. They should only report the facts.
When a controversial topic arises, I prefer not to jump on the condemnation bandwagon. If a man is innocent, arresting him publicly without proof and then having to release him for lack of that proof is harmful on many levels. By the same token, if the woman in question is telling the truth, doubting her word makes victims of rape even more leery of coming forward. The rush to judgment by either party is a sad stain on society and our system of justice. Every rape charge proven to be false casts a shadow of doubt on legitimate rape charges and hampers the prosecution and conviction of actual rapists.
Lest you think my words are written in defense of real rapists… don’t be ridiculous. Women can and often are their own worst enemy. To unjustly accuse a man, any man, of rape out of greed, revenge or narcissism (those 15 minutes of fame can be very tempting) is detrimental to society as a whole and women in particular. To falsely accuse a man, especially a prominent individual, for political/financial gain is reprehensible.
Lying about rape is almost as heinous as the crime of rape itself. By lying, women are further victimizing those who have already been victimized. Lying corrodes the shaky foundation that has been set in place to make society aware that rape is not about sex and that the victim is not at fault. Unfortunately, if just one woman is found to be lying, suddenly, all women lie!
If ever there was a club no one should aspire to join, being a rape survivor is it. Since women do not voluntarily apply for membership, those who are forced onto its roster need to hold strong against anyone who would undermine their progress. That includes other women who use the accusation of rape for their own gain.
Let’s adopt the battle cry, “From victimized to victorious – nothing less will do.” Only the truth will allow us to achieve that goal.
And, by the way, I despise the term “sexual assault.” The proper terminology should be “anatomy specific assault.” Why? Because that is what rape is… an assault on a particular part of the body. Rape is not a sex crime. It is a violent crime. In the context of rape, a penis is a weapon no different than a fist, a baseball bat, a pipe, a knife or a gun. STOP say “sexual” assault. There is noting sexual about rape. There is only power and pain.
