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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Woman jailed for ten years for false rape accusations

179 replies

OlennasWimple · 24/08/2017 21:42

Can we discuss this case? It's interesting for lots of reasons, including that the sentence she has been given for making multiple false accusations is over three times the length that one of the men who was falsely accused was given for actual rape

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VestalVirgin · 24/08/2017 21:46

WTF? One of the men allegedly wrongly accused of rape was later found guilty of rape?

I strongly suspect he also did rape in this case. (didn't read the article, but the "it was consensual" excuse won't convince me here, he'd have to been on the other side of the planet at the alleged time of the rape so I'd believe him innocent.)

Sadly, I am not even surprised. That's patriarchy. Rape a woman, get five years, accuse a man of rape, get fifteen years.

annandale · 24/08/2017 21:53

No, the false convictions of rape resulted in prison sentences.

Given the number of accusations she made, the fraudulent claims for compensation, the multiple prison sentences served by innocent men and lives ruined, I can't say that I think this is disproportionate.

DrDreReturns · 24/08/2017 21:55

One of the men allegedly wrongly accused of rape was later found guilty of rape? Where does it say that? Do you mean that the first person she accused was found guilty after a re trial?

noeffingidea · 24/08/2017 21:56

Haven't read the sentencing report, but going on the information in the article I think the sentence is justified. She made allegations against 15 men, not just one. Potentially that could have lead to false imprisonment of 15 men.
Having said that, the investigating officers fucked up here. Surely they should have noticed a pattern before the number got so high.

Norland · 24/08/2017 22:02

I hope I'm never accused of anything where VestalVirgin might be on the jury.

Read the link before posting your utter diatribe.

TwitterQueen1 · 24/08/2017 22:04

vestal
I strongly suspect he also did rape in this case. (didn't read the article,..

Oh well, obviously you know better than everyone else - if you say he's guilty then he must be Hmm

This woman destroyed multiple lives. Her false testimony resulted in false imprisonment for one man. Another man fled the country, leaving his career and life in tatters - again, through her false claims.

Not sure what you expect here?

NoLoveofMine · 24/08/2017 22:04

It's certainly the case that the vast majority of rapists get far lower sentences but in my opinion it's more that they should be sentenced far more harshly rather than this woman was sentenced too harshly.

Says a lot that this case is receiving far more attention than this, the perpetrators of which were also sentenced today: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-41035610

Of course this is because rape cases are very common and scarcely make any news (barely anyone would even know about these hideous cases from earlier this year of men previously convicted of rape attacking again upon release within days of one another, for example: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/28/man-who-raped-stranger-hours-before-his-wedding-given-life-term and www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15280636.VIDEO___Dangerous__rapist_jailed_for_life___but_are_there_more_victims_/).

In terms of this case, I think the judge's words in sentencing were also well considered: "These false allegations of rape, false allegations which will inevitably be widely publicised, are likely to have the perverse impact of increasing the likelihood of guilty men going free.

"Cases such as this bring a real risk that a woman who has been raped or sexually assaulted may not complain to the police for fear of not being believed."

I think it's commendable the judge included this in his sentencing.

Mumof56 · 24/08/2017 22:07

What despicable actions by that woman. Not only has she ruined many mens lives, she has done a disservice to people who have been raped.

The whole "even when they're innocent, I know they're guilty" brigade need to cop themselves on.

NoLoveofMine · 24/08/2017 22:10

Rape ruins lives. Even being convicted of rape doesn't ruin lives - see one of the links in my last post where a man previously convicted of raping a woman he attacked in a park (in a case so serious the judge said upon retirement it was one of the only cases which affected him forever) was released and engaged to be married when he attacked again having been out with a group of friends celebrating his imminent wedding - ruining another woman's life. His original offence certainly hadn't ruined his.

FerretsAreFeminists · 24/08/2017 22:10

Sorry if this sounds dense but I'm really struggling to see how the first man she accused of rape was convicted. Given the high burden of proof required in criminal trials and the fact that rape is a very difficult to crime to prove, htf was he even convicted?

NoLoveofMine · 24/08/2017 22:11

I abhor this woman and think the judge's sentencing remarks were exactly right. As he alluded to, the attention this case is receiving relative to actual rapes (which are happening so frequently) is so detrimental to victims.

FerretsAreFeminists · 24/08/2017 22:12

she has done a disservice to people who have been raped.

Do you apply the same logic to people who make false accusations of other crime? Or is it just the one crime where the accusers are mainly women that you apply that to?

Mumof56 · 24/08/2017 22:15

@Ferrets

Are you trying to justify making false rape allegations? Do you think it's an ok thing to do?

What have other crimes got to do with this thread? Am I supposed to list my feelings on all crimes before I can discuss this one?

Your post is very odd

Fruitcocktail6 · 24/08/2017 22:19

Ferrets what crimes are you thinking of? Confused

Icantreachthepretzels · 24/08/2017 22:20

She's been described as a 'lesbian fantasist' in the headline - not sure that her sexuality is so important that it should be the first word, I'm probably reading too much into it but it seems a bit like an attempt to vilify her (She's a lesbian - the ones who hate men!) when, quite frankly, she has done a damn fine job of vilifying herself - if she has made up all these stories then she is a terrible person, who deserves a prison sentence.

It's interesting (although awful) that she named specific people, as I was under the impression that a lot of false rape accusations (well, a high percentage, there aren't a lot ) aren't levelled against specific people. I suppose that accounts for the length of her sentence, because without supplying names she is only wasting police time - which shouldn't come with that lengthy a sentence.

I'm surprised the first man not only got convicted but got re convicted as it is so hard to get a conviction usually - I imagine racism came into play on that one.

I don't think a false accusation of rape should carry a lengthier sentence than actual rape though. The man she accused was sentenced to 7 years, being sentenced to the same amount of time that all her victims spent in prison, served concurrently, might seem a bit fairer.

It was heartening to see that one of the suggested articles advertised in the middle of the stories was '6 rape myths that need busting' though. This is the type of story that gives antifeminists a lot of grist for their mill, its important to remember that incidents like this are extremely rare and are clearly adequately punished - though I fear that that isn't the message that many people will take from this story. It was good that suggested articles offered a balance.

FerretsAreFeminists · 24/08/2017 22:20

@Mumof56

The point is that people only ever say things like 'she has done a disservice to people who have been raped' and 'this will make it harder for women who have been raped to be believed' about false rape accusations and never about false accusations of other crimes.

Not once did I try to justify this woman's actions or say that false rape accusations are okay.

FerretsAreFeminists · 24/08/2017 22:22

@Fruitcocktail6 any crime that people have been falsely accused of...which is basically every crime that exists. Rape isn't the only crime people get falsely accused of, you know.

Manclife · 24/08/2017 22:23

Holy cow! The vitriol against men on this thread by some posters is palpable.

"I strongly suspect he also did rape in this case. (didn't read the article, but the "it was consensual" excuse won't convince me here, he'd have to been on the other side of the planet at the alleged time of the rape so I'd believe him innocent.)"

Just WTF!

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 24/08/2017 22:25

I don't think a false accusation of rape should carry a lengthier sentence than actual rape

It does not work like. She has been found guilty of multiple instances of perjury and wasting police time. Perjury is a very serious crime.

NoLoveofMine · 24/08/2017 22:26

Well from a recent case, this man made a false allegation against a woman he'd just assaulted to try to get away with his violent attack: www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/commuter-faces-jail-for-elbowing-woman-in-face-in-scrum-at-tube-doors-a3614601.html

Unsurprisingly, not much in the way of coverage in comparison.

FerretsAreFeminists · 24/08/2017 22:26

I'm guessing that Vestal holds that view because of how difficult it is to get a rape conviction.

Fruitcocktail6 · 24/08/2017 22:27

Ferrets

Yes, obviously. No one said that and it doesn't explain your point. No one thinks it's okay to make false accusations of theft, murder, fraud etc.

Fruitcocktail6 · 24/08/2017 22:28

I think anyone who makes a false allegation has done a disservice to genuince victims.

Is that your point?

Manclife · 24/08/2017 22:29

You mean unsurprising because in comparison it was relatively minor? Or because a male was the offender?

FerretsAreFeminists · 24/08/2017 22:29

I think you need to go back and re-read my posts Fruitcocktail6 because you seem to have completely missed the point.