Accused celebrities in the news today.

[boyfriday]

And there's another thing that makes the whole process unfair, the women making malicious or false accusations get to retain their anonymity while the accused have their names dragged through the gutter regardless of their guilt or innocence.

I've some sympathy with that view.

Even if, as in the Leslie claims, the accusors were found to have made up the sexual assaults, as far as I know none were ever charged with perjury nor did they lose their right to anonymity.

I think the law looks differently at complainants who've had a case go through the criminal process and those who simply make up stories maliciously. A not guilty verdict doesn't necessarily mean the complainants were lying, it means there wasn't enough evidence to substantiate their case, in Scottish law they have a 'not proven' option which juries might find easier to deal with but you can imagine it creates its own controversy because the defendant still has a cloud hanging over him.

Surely it would be much fairer if either both the accused and the accuser were publicly named, or both were allowed to retain their anonymity.

Possibly, but I understand the arguments for both sides.

You can bet regardless of the outcome of the current celebrity cases, there will always be a stain attached to the accused even if found innocent. That can't be right.

That's often the case in all criminal cases regarding celebrities though (or anyone for that matter), Im afraid it's a negative quality of human nature.

 

---------- Post added 17-01-2014 at 15:04 ----------

 

In my opinion each case should be investigated separately. If they don't stand up on their own they shouldn't be reinforced with more similar flimsy accusations.

 

That's exactly what happens wellyman, that's why the defendants face a number of counts rather than a specimen charge.

[wellyman]

 

 

That's exactly what happens wellyman, that's why the defendants face a number of counts rather than a specimen charge.

 

That is exactly the opposite of what I said.

[spilldig]

You appear to have an incredibly naive belief that anyone making an allegation of sexual abuse must automatically be telling the truth. As an example of just how dangerous such a viewpoint is, remember the case of John Leslie?

 

At the time he was a famous TV presenter, when several women came forward to accuse him of sexual assault. The papers has a field day printing ever more lurid stories of what he'd alleged to have done, the so-called victims coined it in selling their stories to the papers, and the online lynchmobs were sharpening their pitchforks and ranting on about what an evil scumbag he was.

 

Except it turned out that he was innocent of all charges, and it turned out the golddiggers had been lying.

 

Despite his innocence, his reputation was ruined and the no smoke without fire brigade ensured his career was ruined and he was left a recluse contemplating suicide. He was recently interviewed about his ordeal on this link.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2258348/John-Leslie-reveals-attack-claims-destroyed-life-left-recluse.html

 

Having read his story, you could argue that being accused of sexual abuse is far worse than actually being sexually abused.

Fatty Arbuckle was another victim. All I am saying is,innocent until found guilty

[harvey19]

Why is the identity of the accusers kept secret ?

[boyfriday]

Why is the identity of the accusers kept secret ?

 

There's a belief that if rape victims weren't guaranteed anonymity that it would act as a disincentive to reporting. It would be nice to live in a world where rape victims weren't stigmatised and therefore require anonymity in the first place.

[Anna Glypta]

Fatty Arbuckle was another victim. All I am saying is,innocent until found guilty

 

You don't have to look far.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/05/30/another-justin-bieber-fan-claims-singer-is-father-her-child/

 

Justin Bieber fan claims singer fathered her child, if true, she may be in trouble for statutory rape.

 

Another Beliber is claiming Justin Bieber is the father of her child.

 

In the latest issue of Star magazine, a 25-year-old unnamed fan is making claims that the Biebs got her pregnant during a one night stand in February 2010. She claims to have given birth to Bieber’s daughter in October of 2010.

 

Back in 2011, another fan --Mariah Yeater-- made similar claims via Star magazine. After Yeater’s accusation, Bieber stated he would take a paternity test to prove he had no connection to her child, but Yeater abruptly dropped the case.

 

The unnamed woman making the claims now alleges that she met Bieber, who was 15 at the time, in Miami, Fla., at a T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant.

[boyfriday]

That is exactly the opposite of what I said.

 

Forgive me, did you say each case/allegation should stand up on its own merits? That is what happens.

[rickiethecat]

There's a belief that if rape victims weren't guaranteed anonymity that it would act as a disincentive to reporting. It would be nice to live in a world where rape victims weren't stigmatised and therefore require anonymity in the first place.

 

But by making it easy for women to make up rape allegations, it actually diminishes the chance of genuine rape victims receiving justice. The high percentage of false accusations means many genuine victims aren't believed.

[Epic Fail]

There's a belief that if rape victims weren't guaranteed anonymity that it would act as a disincentive to reporting. It would be nice to live in a world where rape victims weren't stigmatised and therefore require anonymity in the first place.

 

Source ?

[rickiethecat]

Forgive me, did you say each case/allegation should stand up on its own merits? That is what happens.

 

I think he means each charge should be a completely separate trial. People are inclined to think that if a celebrity is charged with 14 attacks then he must be guilty at least one of them, which prejudices the trial against the accused.