From:    Ken Pangborn
To:      John Clifton                           Msg #16, 10:25pm Feb-15-91
Subject: Rape

JC> > My point was not that women don't make false accusations, but
JC> > that not all allegations are false.
JC>
JC>      Indeed.  The vast majority are no doubt absolutely true.
JC>
JC> > I don't think that we disagree on the basics - there is a real
JC> > potential for abuse of the laws. This abuse makes it much worse
JC> > for victims of crime.
JC>
JC>      Well said.
JC>
JC> > The problem that I wanted to address was the sheer numbers of
JC> > men who are quick to believe that each case is a false case.  I
JC> > read a post here today in which a man said that a friend of his
JC> > was accused of molesting his daughter and that he *knew* it
JC> > wasn't true, that the child was in excellent condition while in
JC> > her father's custody. This disturbs me.
JC>
JC>      Me, too.  Those of us who are concerned need to continue
JC> making a fuss.
JC>
JC> > I think that in cases of rape by a family member or date rape,
JC> > it is very difficult for outsiders to have a good understanding
JC> > of the situation, and it bothers me that a gender line seems to
JC> > have been drawn - women tending to believe the accuser, and men
JC> > tending to believe the accused.  I hope that this is yet
JC> > another of my misperceptions.  What do you think

		  Folks the simple facts are that a high number of rape cases and
child molestation cares do prove to be false. Even though the strident
amongst us will howl. The only two studies on the subject of false rape
reports indicates that almost 50% are fabricated. One
study was done in the late 1970's, and a more recent study done for the Air
Force JAG office showed about the same results. I doubt you
will see much published because suggesting that there are ANY fabricated
rape reports subjects one to a considerable pummeling, not
to mention worse! Ask Professor McNeely at the University of Wisconsin at
Milwaukee, He DARED to suggest that women also batter husbands, and wes
near stoned, and ridden out of town on a rail!

		  In child sexual abuse cases as many as 88% turn out to be
incorrect.

		  It is near completely taboo to suggest this or discuss numbers such
as this which are significant when the official party line is that less
than 2% are false. Of course that figure is either
made with NO attribution, or is a misstatement of statistics from
an unpublished court survey with the 2% referring NOT to how many are
false, but how many cases within a category HAD such allegations in them.
One need only look at the reacyion I will get here to see what I mean. I
fully expect to smell tar within microseconds!