the use of the word 'alleged'

[foreverastudent]

I was driving in my care and heard on the radio a quick news report of an '11 year old boy who was sexually assaulted'. I'm sorry I don't have a link (can't remember the station/time) but I noted the absence of the word 'alleged'. AFAICR whenever I've heard similar news reports (female victims) they always use the word 'alleged'.

Was this case different because male rape/sexual assault victims are to be believed whereas female ones aren't?

It really bugs me when they use that word. They should either use it for all crime victims or none.

Is it because there was evidence of the assult?

I can imagine there being a distinction made between case where there is evidence of sexual assult and a case where there is an allegation without conclusive evidence. For both males and females.

In either situation if a person was accused they would still have to say allegedly committed the crime wouldn't they? Until proven guilty?

It would be interesting to know if the evidence is the same when we hear 'female was allegedly sexually assulted' or 'male was sexually assulted' or not.

I don't imagine that they can judge the evidence at this stage - surely that's up to the CPS/judge/jury isn't it?

Would be interested to know more about this - so often seems to be some poor girl left crying in torn up clothes and she was "allegedly" assaulted. No, she was assaulted. Just like people are burgled. And killed. And mugged. Not allegedly mugged.

i think they do use it for all crimes don't they?

the "alledged robbers" etc etc

the thing is you KNOW if a bank has been robbed. it isn't alledged. it has happened. but you can have alledged robbers.

if someone has been raped, until it is proven in court then it HAS to be alledged.

I think you'd have to assume the case had already gone to trial and the assailant found guilty.

But yes, you're right - a house is burgled, the suspect is alleged to have burgled it (prior to conviction). And it should be the same for any sexual assault or rape - the assumption should be the victim was raped, the suspect is the alleged rapist. I can see that legally it's far more complicated than that though.

an "alleged" rape is different from a burglary. With a burglary it is usually clear that the illegal act has happened - its just they don't know who did it. With an "alleged" rape the rape itself has not yet been proven. The assumption should NOT be that the victim WAS raped - that turns the whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing on it's head. In some cases though it is pretty clear cut that a rape has taken place - and then the news stories will say "a girl was raped..."

What like when people pretend they have been burgled in order to claim on their insurance?

I can't think of any crime where you can see at the outset it has definitely happened.

well i think it would be fairly clear if a bank had been robbed... don't you?

Nope, what if one of the employees had set it up to look like a robbery to cover an inside job?

I don't think many bank robberies would be that, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. It sets a dangerous precedent to have some crimes that are definitely crimes, and some are subjective crimes. Who decides which is which and on what basis?

um... that would still be a robbery

Not fraud or embezzlement or just theft?

A definition of robbery

This use of alleged really irritates me. It seems really obviously designed to undermine the victims credibility. Shouldn't it be 'alleged rapist'? As in..."a girl was raped...the alleged rapist"
It's the suspect that has yet to be proven guilty, so alleged fits better.

or exactly what Thisisyesterday and Hassled said.

I think the media is pretty consistent in using 'alleged' for any situation in which there is a possibility that the victim consented at the time (I'm not saying that's right, just observing).

The difference in the case mentioned by the OP is that the victim was an 11 year old boy, beneath the age of consent. If there is any physical evidence for sexual interference then there's no 'alledged' possible.

It's nothing to do with rapist victims not being believed. I think it isn't to do with the act but the assailant. The assault occurs. Thereafter it IS a matter of evidence. IME, attacks are reported as attacks, and then it's up to the defence to demonstrate that the alledged assailant didn't do it.

But we're talking about use of "the alleged rape" or "the indicent allegedly occurred". No-one's questioning whether the suspects should be called "alleged attackers", or whatever.

here for instance

sure. Just IME an incident is reported as such without an accent on the gender of the victim/nature of the incident. Happy to be corrected and look out for the 'alleged' bit. The criminal framework is the same, and I am doubting if media outlets sloppily ignore legal requirements from case to case. Is all.

I remember that. That article implies that the girl is a liar.

I think that the word "alleged" is used when either a crime has not been proven, or the perpetrators of that crime have not been found guilty yet.

The "alleged" gets removed once a guilty verdict has been found.

Reports tend to refer to an actual incident and and alleged perpetrator.

So reporters will refer to "a woman was raped in her home" or a "boy was sexually assaulted in a car" but once the investigation progresses and their is a suspect who is under the jurisdiction of the courts reports will then refer to the "alleged rapist". They don't and should not refer to the "alleged victim".

I don't think it does imply she is a liar. It, possibly unfairly, queries her ability to know what happened, given her age.

Have just done a quick google of alleged attacks and the reporting - fairly mixed bag - some use the a-word, some don't, and little consistency re gender/nature of incident/progress in enquiries. Would have thought it would have been clearer. But not so.

yes lollipops and nancy, but if you google stuff you will find a whole heap of inconsitencies.

well we don't need to now, Pan, because you just did and reported back