Etobicoke, Canada–Another false rape claim, another admission that police rarely file charges over such claims. Perhaps the best part is this–most of the story is dedicated not to the men who could have been targeted, or the men who have been the victims of false rape claims, or even to the waste of police time, money and resources. Nope. Most of the story is dedicated to how difficult it is for rape victims to come forward–as if we were discussing a real rape.
Also, nice quotes from a feminist professor:
“Cheryl Regehr, a professor of social work at the University of Toronto, said that only makes sense, because such fabrications are almost always ‘a call for help in many cases.’
“While she said false rape charges are ‘exceedingly rare,’ they usually draw a disproportionate amount of publicity.
“‘They become highly sensationalized and highly publicized, because they’re so rare,’ said Prof. Regehr. ‘And usually they’re pretty lurid stories.’
“But the effect they can have on real victims of sexual assault can be chilling, she said. ‘Since the dawn of time there’s been this urban myth about how women make up rapes,’ she said.
“‘Every time a case like this comes out, it feeds that … and it really dissuades the real victims from disclosing.'”
As for false rape charges being “exceedingly rare,” that is not the case, as I explained in my column U. of Maryland right to deny protesters a forum to publicly name alleged rapists (Baltimore Sun, 10/15/07). And if they are rare, we certainly seem to get a lot of them–I’ve posted God knows how many on this blog.
The story is below–thanks to Jeremy Swanson.
Etobicoke Rape A Lie, Police Say Chill Effect; Woman claimed she was abducted at gunpoint
Chris Wattie, National Post
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Police spent hours this weekend searching for two men who hijacked a woman’s car in her Etobicoke neighbourhood, sexually assaulted her and drove away, dumping her in front of her home.
The woman told police she was abducted at gunpoint, forced into a dark green van, driven to an unknown location and sexually assaulted.
Her car was found abandoned at Woodbine Raceway, but officers were unable to find any sign of the two suspects.
They soon concluded the unidentified woman made up the whole story.
Read the full article here.