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Sexual assault and college campuses

On Behalf of | Oct 25, 2012 | Sexual Assault |

There is controversy as to whether a large number of false rape claims are being made on many college campuses. One non-profit group claims this is increasingly occurring in a number of colleges (presumably including colleges in the Colorado area as well).

It has been alleged by an assistant doctor (that works for one state’s safety and transportation board) that false claims are nothing new, and that he has seen these types of false claims for close to 25 years. And though it has been denied by one college official that a problem does exist with these types of false claims being made, police in that vicinity are now administering citations to students that are making false claims of sexual assault.

There has been concern on campuses that once accusations have been filed, victims may no longer withdraw these claims. Though the concern is to make certain that individuals claiming a sexual assault had occurred will not have their identity made known, this can become a double edged sword when individuals are falsely accused of perpetrating a rape or sexual assault.

In the past, a purported victim’s request that an investigation not be conducted was honored. Now investigations of sexual assault will often continue with or without the consent of the individual originally making the allegations. This makes it difficult for those accused and their attorneys to defend themselves against such claims without knowing where the allegation originated from.

We can never know for sure if false allegations have been made unless the individual accused is given the right to independently investigate what has occurred. Fortunately, criminal defense attorneys are experienced in these types of matters and can often prevent false allegations from being followed through.

Source: The Standard, “Department of Education cracks down on false rape claims across the nation,” by Kris Collins, Oct. 23, 2012

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