Larissa Nolan
We must stand with men falsely accused of rape
WE’ VE talked about sexual harassment and abuse, we’ve talked about rape. If we are to have a full, frank and productive conversation about sex crimes, now we need to talk about false allegations.
The #MeToo movement — and its sometimes dangerous I Believe Her dogma — rapidly re ached its predictable terminus: a place where men are guilty because accused, and mob justice rules.
But lately, the focus has trained on another kind of victim: those accused in the wrong, who have suffered untold personal torment and had their lives, careers and reputations shattered at the pointa ing of a finger. It’s time for their stories. The untrue allegation against 87-year-old comedian Sil Fox was a recent example that brought the issue to light. Bravo to Sil for having the courage to speak out after his case was dismissed.
We must dismantle the much touted myth that false allegations are “incredibly rare” when the truth is they are far more common than most realise. Waving them off as being at a tiny percentage is to imply the vast majority of those accused are automatically guilty.
False allegations are the mirror image of rape itself. In my view — as someone who has experienced rape — the only thing equal to such terrible crime is being wrongly labelled a rapist.
The former US assistant attorney general John Davis believes fake claims are a form of sexual violence. “False accusations of rape are not about sex,” he says. “Like the crime of rape itself, they are about power.” He describes the weaponisation of such allegations as “like a witch’s curse — ruinous”.
Yet they can be made, safe in the knowledge the accuser is free from accountability. Are we supposed to think women are the supreme, virtuous sex, beyond ever exploiting a shield like #MeToo for malevolent means?
The frequently cited figure of a 2pc rate of false allegations has no solid research to back it up. It’s an unfounded estimate at the very lower end of a range that stretches from 2pc to 10pc. Due to definitions of false accusations, the true figure remains unknown.
There are numerous other studies that rate it significantly higher — to choose some at random, a study in Canada placed it at 19pc and one UK government report established that 12pc of rape claims fell into the broader definition of a false allegation.
The only major study is Professor Eugene Kanin’s research of all rapes in a midwestern US city over 10 years from 1978 to 1987, which showed a 41pc false report rate. FBI Uniform Crime Reports show a hard statistic of 8pc of rape claims are false, with a further 50pc without enough merit to require an arrest.
The reasons behind such false claims are complex: they can be a facet of a personality disorder, or caused by false memories. They can be a case of accidental self-deception or an attempted deliberate deception of others for reasons of blame, or shame, or guilt.
In malicious cases, they are made for reasons of revenge, ego enhancement, a sense of empowerment, or to garner sympathy, attention, or personal or financial gain. It’s not helpful to instantly demonise the complainant either — in a way, many are victims too; damaged or suggestible characters in a society that rewards self-victimisation and the pathologising of male lust.
In a culture where women are instructed to reframe old sexual experiences through the prism of #MeToo, and encouraged to believe regret sex can be rape, it’s understandable unjust accusations will flourish.
Militant feminists who instruct us how to have sex insist consent must be ongoing and vocal all the way throughout the entire proceedings, or else it’s rape. They view consent as a fluid concept that can be revoked after the sexual encounter, even if it was consensual and enthusiastic at the time. No wonder some women genuinely do not know if they have been raped or not.
It’s important to acknowledge fake allegations are increasing, and stand with male victims of this crime. Feminist campaigner Christina Hoff Sommer argues: “In all we do to help, the most loyal ally is the truth. Truth brought to public light recruits the best of us to work for change.”
The phenomenon of false allegations — proliferating in the cult of #MeToo — is the biggest setback to victims’ rights in my lifetime.
Wrong accusations mean women will be believed less often than they ever were, and they direct the spotlight on innocent men, allowing rapists to remain in the shadows.
Last week, the pop star Justin Bieber filed a $20m (€18m) suit against two accusers who made claims he could prove were false, calling them “outrageous lies”.
Bieber (26) says the women accusing him are motivated by fame and attention and are “trying to capitalise on a climate of fear, where it’s open season for anyone to make an allegation”.
Radical activists — who see all men as rapists or potential rapists — don’t care about Bieber’s ordeal. Instead they fret he might “silence future victims” by fighting back against the worst attack on a man’s character.
They refuse to sympathise with a victim of a false rape accusation and instead will repeat the mantra: “…and they were acquitted”. That’s a casual dismissal of a grave injustice.
Endless concern for one group, zero empathy for another — the mentality behind all the darkest times in humanity’s history.
‘Fake allegations are increasing... we must stand with male victims of this crime’