# The media should name all rape accusers
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [December 19, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686 "2014-12-19T18:30:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/21 "2014-12-19T20:28:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> The social stigma of the rape _victim_. :smack:
That was a typo, sorry for the confusion.
What social stigma do rape victims face in 2014?
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### Author:  [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/22 "2014-12-19T20:38:09Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Hostages and kidnap victims face sympathy, not social stigma.
Those accused of rape also face huge stigmas, including those falsely accused.
I can see both sides and I don’t have a compelling argument. We want women to feel comfortable in bringing charges and we want those charges to be taken seriously. We’d also prefer a system that minimized false accusations without reducing the number of serious charges.
Maybe we should keep private the names of those who are charged until there is a conviction? That would at least protect those who are falsely accused. It has its own problems: besides being (probably) unworkable it also lessens the chance that other women will come forward when someone charges a serial rapist.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/23 "2014-12-19T20:40:48Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> That was a typo, sorry for the confusion.
>
> What social stigma do rape victims face in 2014?
After you finish reading [this](http://timesdelphic.com/2013/10/28/victims-of-sexual-violence-face-social-stigma), [this](http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/9845262/society-fails-victims-sexual-assault-stigmatized), and [this](http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20110722/ARCHIVES/307229901), I can post several dozen more if you wish.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/24 "2014-12-19T20:50:51Z")
And even if they didn’t, the mere perception of social stigma will dissuade victims from coming forth, regardless of whether that perception is accurate. Anonymity helps improve that situation.
If you really think it’s a problem, there are laws against filing frivolous police reports. If someone accuses someone else of rape, and it turns out that she made it all up out of pure spite or hope for a lawsuit payment or whatever, and a court can prove to beyond a reasonable doubt that she did so, _then_ we can name her and publicly shame her and do whatever else the law calls for. Not before.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/25 "2014-12-19T20:53:33Z")
> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Depends on whether other crimes are treated the same way.
>
> If accusers of all other crimes are named, then so should rape accusers.
>
> If accusers of all other crimes are not named, then neither should rape accusers be named.
How about mob informants? Should they be named, too?
Bear in mind that in the eyes of the law, an accuser is just another type of witness. They’re not the one prosecuting the suspect; the state is, with the assistance of their testimony.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/26 "2014-12-19T21:07:56Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> That was a typo, sorry for the confusion.
>
> What social stigma do rape victims face in 2014?
Does the word ‘Stuebenville’ mean anything to you?!
Oh sorry, that was 2012 & 2013. Things are sooooi much better for rape victims now. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/27 "2014-12-19T21:15:52Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> I’m aware this won’t be a popular proposal. But, too many people are having their lives ruined by highly questionable rape allegations.
If you don’t mind sharing; how often have you been accused?
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/28 "2014-12-19T22:15:41Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> If you don’t mind sharing; how often have you been accused?
Never been accused
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/29 "2014-12-19T22:26:41Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> Never been accused
Did you read the links I provided?
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/30 "2014-12-19T22:32:08Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#):
>
> Does the word ‘Stuebenville’ mean anything to you?!
>
> Oh sorry, that was 2012 & 2013. Things are sooooi much better for rape victims now. :rolleyes:
I read the wikipedia article about the case, and there’s no mention of the victim having to face a social stigma 😕
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### Author:  [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/31 "2014-12-19T22:35:41Z")
Regarding the OP I’ve more issues with the name of the accused being disclosed than with the name of the victim being hidden.
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### Author:  [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/32 "2014-12-19T22:43:37Z")
Did the woman who lied and accused the Duke lacrosse players of rape face any repercussions after it became evident she was lying about the whole thing?
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/33 "2014-12-19T22:50:15Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> Not just the UVA case. I think all rape accusers should be named. I’d like for the police reports to not have the accuser’s name blacked out when an actual case has been brought to the police.
Is there any need to report the name of the accused or the accuser? Yes, certainly at some point these things may be a public interest, but until some investigation of a reported crime adds some credibility to the accusation what would be the point of the authorities releasing this information?
As I mentioned already, there is a big difference between an alleged crime reported to the police and one that is only reported to the media. Unless there’s a failure on the part of the justice system I see no point in the media naming anyone.
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### Author:  [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)
#### Post date: [December 19, 2014, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/34 "2014-12-19T23:57:13Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> After you finish reading [this](http://timesdelphic.com/2013/10/28/victims-of-sexual-violence-face-social-stigma), [this](http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/9845262/society-fails-victims-sexual-assault-stigmatized), and [this](http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20110722/ARCHIVES/307229901), I can post several dozen more if you wish.
From your first cite:
> [@](#):
>
> Recently, a 14-year old young woman named Daisy Coleman was raped in the small town of Maryville, Mo.
>
> As in Steubenville, the reaction was to blame the victim for the attack and sympathize with the attackers.
>
> Days after the incident became public knowledge, the website [thinkprogress.org](http://thinkprogress.org) reported that students at the high school began attacking Coleman and her family.
>
> On social media websites students began threatening Coleman, tweeting that she would “get what’s coming.”
>
> Then, charges against the football players were dropped.
>
> Some call such reactions to sexual assault as a sign of America’s “rape culture.”
Odd. She was raped – why were the charges dropped?
Well, it turns out that the flat statement “she was raped,” is disputed. The accused rapist was 17; the victim 14. In Missouri, that’s legal. But the victim claimed she was incapacitated by alcohol, making her sexual activity rape. The accused boy claims the sex was consensual, and after the sex is when she drank the alcohol – which he bought for her at her request, because she promised him sex if he bought her alcohol.
After text messages from her to him substantiated that claim, she admitted to police that she had done this. She still claimed that she drank the alcohol first and was incapacitated during the sex.
Can you explain why you automatically credit her assertion that this was rape, if you do?
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### Author:  [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/35 "2014-12-20T00:23:15Z")
Who drinks after sex?
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/36 "2014-12-20T00:39:11Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#):
>
> Who drinks after sex?
Some people, perhaps.
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### Author:  [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/37 "2014-12-20T00:39:54Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> After you finish reading [this](http://timesdelphic.com/2013/10/28/victims-of-sexual-violence-face-social-stigma), [this](http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/9845262/society-fails-victims-sexual-assault-stigmatized), and [this](http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20110722/ARCHIVES/307229901), I can post several dozen more if you wish.
Don’t bother.
Anyone who seriously asks a question like that is saying more about himself or herself than about the question of identifying “rape accusers/rape victims”.
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### Author:  [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/38 "2014-12-20T00:42:56Z")
I think it’d be fairer if both the accuser and accused get anonymity.
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### Author:  [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/39 "2014-12-20T00:48:40Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> How about mob informants? Should they be named, too?
>
> Bear in mind that in the eyes of the law, an accuser is just another type of witness. They’re not the one prosecuting the suspect; the state is, with the assistance of their testimony.
For that matter, isn’t it irresponsible of media organizations to use anonymous sources at all?
Since Deep Throat made some mistakes wasn’t it disgusting that Wodward and Bernstein protected him for so many decades and didn’t reveal his identity right away?
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### Author:  [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)
#### Post date: [December 20, 2014, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-media-should-name-all-rape-accusers/707686/40 "2014-12-20T00:50:50Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#):
>
> I think it’d be fairer if both the accuser and accused get anonymity.
In the Rolling Stone case both the supposed lifeguard boyfriend who organized the “rape” and the victim/accuser were given anonymity.
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