Reply #162: I agree strongly with you second line (all of your post, but esp. that) [View All]

[salin]

indeed upthread I expressed that while I did not report when I was raped (years ago), I later came to regret it. Not for as big and general reason as you state well (detering the behavior in others) but for the fact that the rapist probably went on to rape others, and perhaps I could have prevented that.

What can the justice system do differently - hard to say, as part of the problem is societal in terms of how rape is minimized and thus how victims are treated - or fear they will be treated. For me the shame was horrendous, the idea of subjecting myself to more humiliation per folks assuming that it must have been my fault (this was an 'upstanding' young man...) - heck I told myself that as well (that at some level I must have done something to send the signal that caused the rape) all of that is ridiculous, but it is real at the time of the truama. I honestly don't know what the Justice System can do to address that, and without willing witnesses there can not be successful prosecutions.

Per prosecuting false witnesses I think that is an easier matter. But if you increase the prosecutions of the false accusers, without an increase in rape prosecutions - then the public perception that increased the fear of the victim to report let alone prosecute - remains continuing to depress the rate of report.