# Wrong woman (almost) raped...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-woman-almost-raped/237974>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 2, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-woman-almost-raped/237974 "2004-04-02T23:11:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-woman-almost-raped/237974/41 "2004-04-06T22:46:46Z")

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> [@Una Persson](#):
>
> DocCathode: isn’t it the other way around? Doesn’t the prosecution have to prove that she was _not_ in fear of her life and/or acting out of self defense?

No.

Self-defense is generally an affirmative defense, meaning that while of course the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt each element of the crime, the accused may negate criminal liability by proving self-defense.

Some jurisdictions may vary.

- Rick

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**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrong-woman-almost-raped/237974/42 "2004-04-07T00:26:32Z")

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> [@bnorton](#):
>
> I suspect that drug possession had a lot to do with his guilty plea. I notice that the article mentions what charges were _dropped_, but doesn’t say what he plead guilty to.

They led with it: “A California man has pleaded guilty to residential burglary…”

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