# This is what happens to main witnesses of sexual harassment **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2017, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974 "2017-12-09T01:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/1 "2017-12-09T01:30:02Z")
Main witnesses of sexual harassment and assault have it rough. Twitter thread: > Compilation, for those who don’t like to read tweets: > **[Thread by @docfreeride on Thread Reader App](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/939260754280058880)** > > @docfreeride: Things I predict will happen when I name my most significant harasser in my discipline, not necessarily in chronological order: (Note at the outset: I’ve no plans to pursue legal or even professional c...… I’ll quote the first sixth of the essay or so: > [@](#): > > Things I predict will happen when I name my most significant harasser in my discipline, not necessarily in chronological order: > > (Note at the outset: I’ve no plans to pursue legal or even professional consequences for him. It’s been 23 years.) > > His colleagues & fans will speak to his philosophical contributions. > They will question my philosophical contributions. > > There will be women who’ve worked or studied with him announcing that he never harassed or assaulted THEM, so … > > My history will be scrutinized to determine whether I have some grievance against him I’m trying to advance by naming him. > > My history will be scrutinized to discover mental health issues that would make it OK to dismiss my testimony about what happened. > > My history will be scrutinized for… ---
**Author:** ![BeenJammin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beenjammin/32/448_2.png) [@BeenJammin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeenJammin)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/2 "2017-12-09T01:51:52Z")
Why do all the best things in the world get used as weapons? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/3 "2017-12-09T01:55:21Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/4 "2017-12-09T04:50:36Z")
Well as far as the aspect of scrutinizing history of the accuser I don’t necessarily think that’s wrong in and of itself. If an accuser makes an assertion they should back it up with some facts, if facts are available, I realize that sometimes these things can be hard to prove, depending on the circumstances. If you found that the accuser had a history of making false sexual accusations or maybe had ulterior motives such as anger about a different issue then indeed that would be relevant history that warrants close attention. I’m not saying that such a scenario is all that common but it does indeed happen. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/5 "2017-12-09T05:38:25Z")
OP, why are you referring to the victims as the main witnesses? And, did it take you this long to realize that accusing someone of sexual misconduct brings out attacks on the acuser? She wore a short skirt… She wore a long, ample skirt… She wore a pencil skirt… She wore pants… Women like running trains with dudes they met half an hour before… She looked at me funny… ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/6 "2017-12-09T06:27:11Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > OP, why are you referring to the victims as the main witnesses? I thought they typically were the main witnesses and that re-framing them as such might be interesting. “Witness” connotes mob-witness for example and brings up a different set of mental images. > [@](#): > > And, did it take you this long to realize that accusing someone of sexual misconduct brings out attacks on the accuser? No, it did not take me this long. But the OP is topical: there’s a wave of women publicly discussing sexual harassment publicly and I thought that the linked thread was a decent compilation of varied and sometimes contradictory responses. All fairly plausible I thought Also: MPSIMS. > [@](#): > > She wore a short skirt… > She wore a long, ample skirt… > She wore a pencil skirt… > She wore pants… > Women like running trains with dudes they met half an hour before… > She looked at me funny… That shit doesn’t fly as well as it used to in US rape cases. People will say such things, but they smell to me of obvious horseshit. The list presented in the linked thread contains far less dubious responses to the victim (mostly). None of them imply that the victim was asking for it, for example: many question whether what happened when 2 people were alone 23 years ago actually happened the way it was characterized. Not unreasonable on its face. But very tough on the witness. Overwhelming even. Props to all who press on regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/7 "2017-12-09T07:02:43Z")
Someone recently remarked to me that they couldn’t imagine an easier and more consequence-free way of getting revenge on someone than accusing them of sexual assault. Consequence-free. I would have laughed if I hadn’t cried. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/8 "2017-12-09T11:28:27Z")
Serious allegations have to be investigated. Even if there is a 98% chance the accuser is telling the truth. There has already been one false accuser to come out of the wood work in recent weeks. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/9 "2017-12-09T12:00:42Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > There has already been one false accuser to come out of the wood work in recent weeks. I didn’t hear about the false accusation. Where and when was that? Also, regarding accusations against celebrities vs. “commoners”: it seems to me that if you want to make an accusation against a celebrity in hopes of a jackpot lawsuit settlement, your best bet is to go with someone who already has been accused, the accusers believed, or better yet, has been convicted in court. Guys like that know they’re on the losing end even if they are sure they don’t recognize you. Unless they have absolute and irrefutable proof (like video footage of themselves elsewhere) of what they were doing when you claim to have been raped, they’re going to settle as quickly and quietly as possible. That doesn’t mean an accuser can’t be a false accuser for some other reason, but I find that reason suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/10 "2017-12-09T12:09:22Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I didn’t hear about the false accusation. Where and when was that? You didn’t read about the lady that tried to accuse Ray Moore of raping her? WP dug a little deeper into her story and found her to be full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/11 "2017-12-09T13:23:02Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > You didn’t read about the lady that tried to accuse Ray Moore of raping her? WP dug a little deeper into her story and found her to be full of shit. …characterizing a sting operation that attempted to fool the Washington Post in an attempt to discredit both the Washington Post and Roy Moore’s accusers as a “false accuser” is the most absurd thing I’ve read today. What this particular story shows is just how hard it is for a blatantly false accusation to make it to the news. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/12 "2017-12-09T13:35:46Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …characterizing a sting operation that attempted to fool the Washington Post in an attempt to discredit both the Washington Post and Roy Moore’s accusers as a “false accuser” is the most absurd thing I’ve read today. A **lot** of the headlines that I saw in the aftermath of that episode made it sound like Moore was the victim rather than a likely co-conspirator. (Actual news outlets, not Trumpbart. And headlines are all a lot of people ever read from the news.) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/13 "2017-12-09T13:37:16Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Serious allegations have to be investigated. Even if there is a 98% chance the accuser is telling the truth. Agreed. But certainly, it’s clear why the consequence of investigation would affect any given victim’s decision whether or not to come forward. Being investigated, interrogated, questioned, doubted, evaluated, and scrutinized is not a fun process. It’s hell. Asking someone to sign up for this unique brand of hell when they’ve already been through sexual assault is a tall order. My one solace with regard to false accusers is that they get to experience the full nightmare that is abuse or assault disclosure. It’s obviously not as bad for them, because they don’t have to live with the agony of being persecuted for _telling the truth_, but at least they get a little taste of what the truth-tellers suffer through. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-what-happens-to-main-witnesses-of-sexual-harassment/803974/14 "2017-12-09T16:26:22Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Serious allegations have to be investigated. Even if there is a 98% chance the accuser is telling the truth. > There has already been one false accuser to come out of the wood work in recent weeks. There are always going to be false accusers just like there will always be sexual harassers. We will never get completely rid of either problem. BUT we can make both problems better. One, by educating people that there are consequences for their behavior. It certainly doesn’t help the false accusation problem that some people - including some women - believe what Spice Weasel’s acquaintance did - that accusing someone of sexual assault is a great way to get revenge on someone consequence free. (Hey, the IRS has an anonymous tip line - call it and tell them they are running an under the table business) I’ll give guys a hint from the “women need to know how to protect themselves” school of prevention…stop saying that we do this, get revenge for something, and walk away scott free. Start saying what is far more often the truth - that when we come forward - even if we are found to be victims - our careers and are lives are forever changed, our relationships will never be the same - and usually, not for the better. Therefore, when a woman comes forward who is aware of this, its because she believes not coming forward will have even worse consequences.