A Legal System That Shrinks From Testing Witness Credibility Robustly Is Not An Authentic System Of Justice

11 November 2013

Believe the victim: a recipe for injustice

"The innocent suffer when we’re encouraged to believe all claimants.

The outraged reactions to newspaper reports of a recent debate at the London School of Economics entitled ‘Is Rape Different?’, at which I spoke, proved the point of my talk there about the prevailing ideology of victimisation. This ideology dominates official thinking about rape and sexual abuse to a point where the police actively solicit allegations with the promise, ‘You will be believed’. This militates against the idea that allegations need to be investigated.

The ‘you will be believed’ mantra also fosters an unreal expectation on the part of complainants, and the victim lobby, that their accounts should not be challenged or questioned robustly. The government is now piloting a scheme of ‘pre-trial’ cross-examination, in an attempt to shield complainants from the rigours of a criminal trial, ostensibly so as not to ‘re-traumatise victims’."

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/believe_the_victim_a_receipt_for_injustice/14272#.UoD14lOAxCM

9th November 2013

The Victims’ Code – A Lack of Substance or a Victory for Victims?

"Victims are no longer an afterthought. But we must be careful that they do not become our only thought."

www.criminallawandjustice.co.uk/features/Victims’-Code-–-Lack-Substance-or-Victory-Victims

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Flooded By False Rape Allegations

http://www.angryharry.com/Flooded-By-False-Rape-Allegations.htm

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11 November 2013

Natasha Foster falsely accused a man of raping her

"A young Ballymena woman who falsely cried rape two years ago then spilled the truth to police said she is "ashamed" of herself.

Young mum Natasha Foster (23) told police in November 2011 that she had been raped but two days later the liar came clean.

However, before she told police the truth they had arrested, questioned and put the man falsely accused of her rape in a cell.

Later this month she will be sentenced for perverting the course of justice by knowingly providing a false statement."

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/im-ashamed-says-woman-who-made-false-rape-claim-29743028.html

http://sexoffenderissues.blogspot.com/2013/11/uk-im-ashamed-says-woman-natasha-foster.html#.UoD3ZFOAxCM