# Lack of trust in women is still a huge problem (a very sad rape story) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 17, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691 "2015-12-17T14:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/41 "2015-12-31T15:35:43Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I don’t know how often it happens. Do you have any figures? > > Regards, > Shodan Nope. The only way such numbers could be found, I think, would be a survey of women who have gone to the police for a rape, and that would be a tough survey (plus it would only have one side of the story, albeit the most important side). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/42 "2015-12-31T16:16:15Z")
I have no data, but I have an anecdote: I know 2 girls that were raped by a stranger in a park when they were 13 years old. The rapist forced them into his car at gunpoint as they were walking home from a movie theater, took them to the park and violently raped them both including beating them with the butt of his gun. When reported to the police, the officer who dealt with their case questioned them about (among other things) their attire. Asked them if they always dressed like sluts. Asked them if they were in the habit of picking up men at the movie theater. They did not take these 13 year old girls, children really, seriously. They never caught the guy. The girl I knew woke up screaming in the middle of the night almost every night for over a year afterward. She was really messed up by this event, really changed. She was in therapy well into her 20s, was medicated, and I believe that this one event negatively effected her career opportunities and her earning potential for the rest of her life. This was in 1988, so a long time ago, but it has always shocked me that the police would treat a nice girl from a nice family in a nice suburban neighborhood like this. Just fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/43 "2015-12-31T16:43:57Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > ISTM that the problem with dealing with accusations of rape, as well as false accusations of rape, is that the maxim is “It is better that a hundred guilty men go free than that one innocent man is punished”. Even if it is a hundred guilty rapists. > > Regards, > Shodan I agree with this, and i think prosecuting false accusers is ultimately good for real victims but that same standard has to apply to false rape accusers. Unless you have some rock solid proof that they are lying they shouldn’t even be threatened with prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/44 "2016-01-02T04:08:30Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > …police officers should absolutely not threaten people who claim they have been victimized in any way, in my opinion. Police shouldn’t threaten anyone, victim or accused. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@Earl\_Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Wilson)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/45 "2016-01-02T13:12:07Z")
you do realize that about 60% of rapes are never reported. that’s something i would say is more troublesome then those that do and are treated as if they are false. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/46 "2016-01-02T15:06:57Z")
> [@Earl\_Wilson](#): > > you do realize that about 60% of rapes are never reported. that’s something i would say is more troublesome then those that do and are treated as if they are false. That is deduced…how? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/47 "2016-01-02T16:39:17Z")
Upon reading the story; I will say its sad for all concerned (though at least the serial rapist was caught; and her story was shown true). However, I fail to see the reason for outrage here, except for the later chargesheet against the complainant… The police did investigate the claim; throughly. They identified gaps in evidence. Thats their job. The police would be amiss if they expended scarce funds, time and resources on a case like this. Do you think if it had gone to a Court, let alone to a jury, it would not have been thrown out. She stated that she was unsure whether she actually had been raped, she could name no one; they had no idea who was the perpetrator. I also find it unlikley they would have gotten authorization to use very expenive foresic tools with her so unsure; In real life unlike CSI those things cost a lot of money and take time. What this shows is a need for greater focus on forsenic evidence collection, a reduction on witness statement and most importantly, proper victims advocates. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/48 "2016-01-02T17:07:36Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Upon reading the story; I will say its sad for all concerned (though at least the serial rapist was caught; and her story was shown true). However, I fail to see the reason for outrage here, except for the later chargesheet against the complainant… The police did investigate the claim; throughly. They identified gaps in evidence. Thats their job. The police would be amiss if they expended scarce funds, time and resources on a case like this. Do you think if it had gone to a Court, let alone to a jury, it would not have been thrown out. She stated that she was unsure whether she actually had been raped, she could name no one; they had no idea who was the perpetrator. I also find it unlikley they would have gotten authorization to use very expenive foresic tools with her so unsure; In real life unlike CSI those things cost a lot of money and take time. > > What this shows is a need for greater focus on forsenic evidence collection, a reduction on witness statement and most importantly, proper victims advocates. Any outrage I feel is less about the failure to successfully find the rapist (until the lucky break later) and much more about the threats against the victim, and that police treated her like an adversary (e.g. like a criminal). I think that ‘earns’ plenty of reasonable outrage. If they had treated her with kindness and respect, and not threatened (much less charged!) her, then this wouldn’t be nearly as much of a problem, even if they were skeptical of her claims. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/49 "2016-01-03T09:45:17Z")
The least they could do is a rape kit. Yes they cost $1500 but our society owes at least that to the victims. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/50 "2016-01-03T10:36:21Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > That is deduced…how? Think it’s sexual assault as a whole, rather than rape, but there’s plenty of sources for such a claim: Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey: 2008-2012. > **[The Criminal Justice System: Statistics | RAINN](https://rainn.org/statistics/criminal-justice-system)** > > The majority of perpetrators of sexual assault will not go to prison. "Why Will Only 2 Out of Every 100 Rapists Serve Time? The majority of sexual assault are not reported to the police (an average of 68% of assaults in the last five years were not reported).1 Those rapists, of course, will never spend a day in prison. But even when the crime is reported, it is unlike to lead to an arrest and prosecution. Factoring in unreported rapes, only about 2% of rapists will ever serve a day in prison." > **[Home](https://bjs.ojp.gov)** > > The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is the United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics that cover a wide range of topics. “Rape and sexual assault victimizations of students (80%) were more likely than nonstudent victimizations (67%) to go unreported to police.” ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/51 "2016-01-03T14:50:02Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Any outrage I feel is less about the failure to successfully find the rapist (until the lucky break later) and much more about the threats against the victim, and that police treated her like an adversary (e.g. like a criminal). I think that ‘earns’ plenty of reasonable outrage. > > If they had treated her with kindness and respect, and not threatened (much less charged!) her, then this wouldn’t be nearly as much of a problem, even if they were skeptical of her claims. And then we wonder why women don’t report rape. Because while the prosecution of her is unusual, reporting a rape is not a pleasant process. Its unlikely to result in apprehension, and should the case go to court, a woman gets to look forward to her character being questioned. Most rapes are someone you know - so good luck proving beyond a reasonable doubt that it wasn’t consensual unless you’ve chosen and been able to fight to the point of being beaten. ---
**Author:** ![Annadroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Annadroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annadroid)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/52 "2016-01-03T20:04:59Z")
Sometimes, the crimes of rape, sexual assault, etc. and the resulting process is simply put to be an invasion of physical privacy perpetrated by a sociopathic individual followed up by an invasion of psychological privacy perpetrated by the people who are supposed to be trusted to protect the public. A lot of the time this is what people perceive to be the case. So, I cannot think of many people who want to subject themselves to such incidents. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/53 "2016-01-03T20:31:30Z")
> [@Gary\_Kumquat](#): > > The majority of sexual assault are not reported to the police (an average of 68% of assaults in the last five years were not reported). How does that break down by sex of the victim and by sex of the alleged rapist? And similarly those of reported rapes? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2019, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691/54 "2019-09-11T13:23:42Z")
Bumping this because the case in the OP has been made into a miniseries on Netflix: > **[Unbelievable tells a powerful, all-too-real story about sexual assault](https://www.avclub.com/unbelievable-tells-a-powerful-all-too-real-story-about-1837898194)** > > Even as the new Netflix series hits familiar crime-drama beats, it never loses its resonance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-trust-in-women-is-still-a-huge-problem-a-very-sad-rape-story/740691.md?page=2)