Discussion List for campus-based and allied personnel working to end gender-based violence on campus.

["Thompson, Stephen M." <>]

The issue of false reports basically stems from a mind set established
in the 1600's by Lord Hale, and reinforced by Freud in 1890's.  Hale's
attitude as a judge was that it was very easy for a woman to make a
claim or rape, but extremely difficult for a man to defend himself.
Freud believed that women fantasize about rape and that they say no when
they mean yes.  Those two attitudes, not backed by research, have been
responsible for a requirement of more evidence in sex crime cases than
in other types of cases.  Additionally that attitude has greatly
influenced the way many within the media report on sex crimes. 

If I am a reporter, police officer, prosecutor, with an attitude that
women lie, I will view the survivor testimony very negatively.  I have
found many "false" accusations are really true accusations with
information that may be inconsistent in the eyes of an investigator.
When I do police trainings I have found that most police officers really
want to do the right thing.  Often they do not understand the behavior
of predators, and that inconsistent statements are consistent with
survivors.  Agencies frequently label an accusation false if there are
inconsistencies, if they can not find a suspect, if the survivor
withdraws support (Bryant case), and if it does not fit the "real rape"
model.  Meaning the survivor reports immediately, is injured due to
resistance, and the perpetrator was violent.  We all know this "model"
is extremely rare. Education is the key, unfortunately people have to be
willing to listen and accept the truth as opposed to their
interpretation of what a "reasonable" survivor would say and do.

It is very troubling that there is still so much ignorance, but not
surprising. Hang in there!!

Steve T.


Stephen M. Thompson
Sexual Aggression Services Coordinator
Central Michigan University
SAC 195
Mt. Pleasant, MI. 48859
Phone: 989-774-6677
Web:  www.stephenmthompson.com
Web:  www.sapa.cmich.edu

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Sent: Wednesday, April 25, 2007 12:07 PM
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Subject: SAPC Digest, Vol 727, Issue 1

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Today's Topics:

   1. FW: News Release:  Half of Rape Claims are False, Experts Say
      (UNCLASSIFIED) (Breton, S. MAJ   USCC)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:59:10 -0400
From: "Breton, S. MAJ   USCC" 
<>
Subject: FW: News Release:  Half of Rape Claims are False,      Experts
Say
        (UNCLASSIFIED)
To: 
<>
Message-ID:
        
<>
        
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"

Has anyone seen this...very disturbing article that I received regarding
false allegations of sexual assault.  

 

I am in the Army and this came by a very long email string from a
military chaplain overseas.  It seems to have some connection to a
conservative mind-set and a conservative media source, and I would like
some thoughts from others on the list-serv about the issue of false
allegations, to reeducate the population I work with.

 

Any thoughts/comments/rebuttals/information about the media source,
writer or the "experts" identified in the article, please send to
.
  

 

Thank you.

 

Samantha

            

 

Major Samantha Ross

Special Assistant to the Commandant for Human Relations

United States Corps of Cadets

United States Military Academy

West Point,  New York  10996

email: 


(845)938-5966 (v); (845)938-4361

 

 

________________________________

The story (23 Apr 07) below,
http://www.mediaradar.org/research_on_false_rape_allegations.php, is put
out by Heritage New Media Partners Inc.,
http://www.heritagenewmedia.com/ , who state they are a media company
dedicated to improving the ability of people and organizations to
successfully get their message out primarily via the non-traditional
media.   Additionally, they advertise that they develop, build and
execute media campaigns for issue based organizations using partners and
resources primarily within the new-media industry.

The story also led me to the attached "False Rape" web site,
http://www.falserape.net/false-rape.htm , which seems to be tracking
many military academy cases, particularly USAF Academy cases.

The AF information the article quotes states it came from a 1985 study
(McDowell CP. False allegations. Forensic Science Digest, Vol. 11, No.
4, December 1985), which I have not been able to pull up on a Google
search.  However, I was able to pull it up on the "False Rape" website:
http://www.falserape.net/falserapeafa.htm

One of Heritage New Media Partners, Inc. media services is New Media
Alliance (NMA), http://www.thenma.org/about.htm , who states it is
dedicated to empowering the voice of those who are active in the
conservative movement through the provision of the following:

1.  Media distribution services 
2.  Writing/Research grants 
3.  Promotional grants 
4.  Coalition building, coordination and planning 

The NMA claims it supports many conservative and Christian organizations
that require quick and effective media outreach capabilities. 

With membership comprised mainly of NMA Staff Writers, Partner media
outlets, Issue based organizations and activist groups, and Alliance
Sponsors, NMA states their outlined mission is to help sustain America's
basic freedoms by aggressively empowering conservative thought and
perspective.

NMA claims their principles promote and support initiatives that adhere
to, defend and strengthen the main tenets of the U.S. Constitution.
Specifically: 

1.) A strong defense of the United States from all enemies foreign and
domestic 
2.) Individual, religious and economic freedom best preserved through
free markets, limited government, separation of powers and uncorrupted
checks and balances 

3.) Justice and equal treatment for all Americans 
4.) High moral standards necessary for the ongoing strength and mission
of The United States 

  

From: Heritage New Media 
Partners[SMTP:]
 

Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 8:39:00 AM 

To: 

 

Subject: News Release:  Half of Rape Claims are False, Experts Say 

  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

April 23, 2007 

  

Contact: Mark Rosenthal: 781-956-1034 

eMail: 

 

www.mediaradar.org 

Word/Printer friendly version: 
http://www.heritagenewmedia.com/radar042207.htm ;

  

Half of Rape Claims are False, Experts Say 

  

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2007 - In the past victims of rape were often
disbelieved or even blamed for the attack. But the recent Duke rape case
reveals that efforts to correct that problem have now created a new

injustice: false accusations. And experts say false claims have become
widespread.  Linda Fairstein, former head of the New York County
District Attorney's Sex Crimes Unit, has written, "There are about 4,000
reports of rape each year in Manhattan. Of these, about half simply did
not happen." 

  

Likewise, former Colorado prosecutor Craig Silverman reported, "Any
honest veteran sex assault investigator will tell you that rape is one
of the most falsely reported crimes that there is. A command officer in
the Denver Police sex assaults unit recently told me he placed the false
rape numbers at approximately 45%."

  

Research supports the one-in-two false claim number. 

  

One review of 556 rape accusations filed against Air Force personnel
found that 60% of the allegations were false. In many cases the accuser
admitted the allegation was false just before taking a polygraph test,
or shortly after she had failed it.

www.mediaradar.org/research_on_false_rape_allegations.php 

  

In a nine-year study of 109 rapes reported to the police in a Midwestern
city, sociologist Eugene Kanin reported that in 41% of the cases the
complainants eventually admitted that no rape had occurred.

  

"The Duke case is not an isolated incident. False claims of sexual
assault and domestic violence have reached epidemic proportions in our
society,"

notes RADAR spokesperson Teri Stoddard. "False claims not only destroy
the good reputation of the innocent, they also deprive real victims from
getting the help they need."

  

In one California case, Jessica Langshaw falsely accused eight men of
rape over an 18-month period. Then she blackmailed the men, demanding
they pay her a total of $500,000 to not press charges. Langshaw was
convicted in 2003 on multiple felony counts of extortion and sentenced
to state prison for seven years. 

  

http://fsnews.findlaw.com/cases/ca/caapp4th/slip/2006/c047790.html   ;

  

According to FBI statistics, about 95,000 forcible rapes were reported
in 2004. The men who are falsely accused are disproportionately
African-American.

  

R.A.D.A.R. - Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting - is a
non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to
improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic
violence.

www.mediaradar.org 

  

  

  

  






-- 
Claire N. Kaplan, Ph.D.
Director, Sexual & Domestic Violence Services
University of Virginia Women's Center
PO Box 800588
Charlottesville VA 22908-0588
T: 434.982.2774
F: 434.982.2901

http://womenscenter.virginia.edu/sdvs


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