Judge rules teen filed false report in rape case

[WhiteTara]

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1133582149167361.xml&coll=7&thispage=1

Saturday, December 03, 2005
DAVID R. ANDERSON

BEAVERTON -- A municipal judge found a 19-year-old woman guilty Friday of filing a false police report after she said she was raped by three young men.

Even though the woman never said she lied or recanted her story, city prosecutors say they took the unusual step of filing charges against her because of the seriousness of her accusations.
snip
The woman, who was 17 at the time of the April 30, 2004, incident, testified Friday that she was attacked by an 18-year-old boyfriend and his two friends. She said she was in the boyfriend's bedroom preparing to go to a party when she was sexually assaulted by the men.

The three men testified Thursday that the acts were consensual and at the girl's initiation.

The Oregonian is not publishing the names of the woman or the three men because the case remains unresolved and involves allegations of sexual assault.

The Washington County District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute the case against the men. Robert Hermann, the county's district attorney, said prosecutors reviewed all the information and statements but didn't think they could prove a rape allegation.

[Wickerman]

1. Now there is one giant leap backward for assault victims

:scared:

[Poppyseedman]

2. Maybe the girl did something stupid and

decided to use the law to her own means to assuage her shame. I did say Maybe.

Ted Naemura, the assistant city attorney who prosecuted the case, said the woman's false accusations were serious enough to lead to charges. The young men faced prison sentences of at least 7 years and a lifetime labeled as sex offenders. In addition, police spent considerable resources investigating the accusations.

The three young men being labeled as sex offenders for life and 7 years in prison is a pretty serious result from teenage sexual horseplay.

I do think charging her is pushing the envelope.

[salin]

3. At the end of the article a good point is made

by a former prosecutor. States that he can understand that there wasn't enough evidence - and not enough consistency in stories to prosecute rape - but those same factors make it hard to understand how the da could then turn around and bring charges against the girl.

[NorthernSpy]

4. the real injustice is that she'll serve only a maximum of 30 days in jail

The people she accused would have gotten at least 7-year minimum terms, and they'd have had to register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives.

Even so, 30 days jailtime is better than nothing. Usually, we let such liars off scot-free. That needs to stop. It's deplorable that there are no real consequences for making a false accusation.



(edit: fixed typo)

[pschoeb]

5. This story doesn't have enough info.

but it seems girl was found guilty based on the belief by the judge that the boys' stories were more "believable" and the girls friends didn't think she appeared traumatized. This seems a silly reason to convict someone. Guess I have to be carefull, because I can take huge amount of stress and pressure without anyone being aware of it, but then I'm a guy, and maybe their won't be any sexual stereotypes that I would have to have some kind of emotional breakdown, or I'm lying about being traumatized.

The article states that there were inconsistencies between all four stories. One would expect the girl's story not to match the boys' stories, as it is unlikely they would admit to rape, even if they had done it. It seems to me, the fact that the boys' stories being inconsistent with each other is a major indicator that the boys are lying.

The judge seems to be largly a corporate, technology lawyer, I have questions on his suitability for the bench.

[funflower]

6. Hello. The girl was 17 at the time. It's a crime regardless of whether

or not it was consensual.

[oneold1-4u]

7. Believe what you may

But a long life of experience can say that maybe one act of non consensual sex, out of more than a thousand, is ever reported! The odds have never been in favor of the one raped to be able to prove unless they were killed! Males still go with the thought that they are right and have all rights!