Interesting situation that deserves our attention

I wanted to highlight this article in an effort to be fair and transparent about news coverage. Now, just because a case is dismissed or overruled does not mean that a crime did not happen. And just because a woman changes her story doesn’t mean that she’s lying – it might just mean that the details fuzzy. Seriously, how many of us can remember the details of our day to day lives, let alone the exact details of a horrifying event. However, issues perjury also raise lots of questions about the validity of the claim. I do not know the details of this situation because I wasn’t there (just like the rest of those with public opinions), but I do know that false report rates for sexual assault are between 4-6% (the same rate as any other violent crime). So, if this is a case of false reporting, please be mindful that this is the exception; not the rule. And please be mindful that it also may be a case of a woman who was trying to sort through the details of a tragic event and details got confusing the more she had to relive the tragic event in question.

Joshua Daniel Phillips
PhD Student, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
Author, 1,800 Miles: Striving to End Sexual Violence, One Step at a Time