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And yet another example of why public shaming is bad.

If rape did happen, bring it before the courts. If not, don't ruin peoples' lives. And don't wait 10 years to accuse someone.

Who knows what really happened. Were they both blackout-drunk? Was it really awkward and bad? Maybe she consented and then regretted it? Maybe it was rape, in which case she should have reported it 10 years ago... Is she trying to cash in since he's slightly more successful than the stereotype of a philosophy major?




I'm not going to discuss this particular case, which I know nothing about, but generally speaking, I think it's fairly to look at it from a distance and say "Maybe it was rape, in which case she should have reported it 10 years ago".

I am not an expert on the matter, but for many rape victims, it is not as easy as it sounds. A lot of different factors come into play when trying to muster the courage to go report a life-shattering incident such as rape. Guilt, fear of not being taken seriously, facing the incident once again, anguish about legal procedures, etc.

Can't emphasize this enough, it's not something you can look at rationally and say "That person should have done that".


I'm sure its not easy.

But making an accusation on Twitter is all too easy.

In our society, when a crime occurs we want justice. Mob anger on the internet isn't justice.


Maybe it was rape, in which case she should have reported it 10 years ago

Thankfully, I've never been sexually assaulted, and I have no insight into either side of this particular situation, but I doubt that it's quite that simple for the victim of a rape.


I'm having trouble expressing this properly, but while the particulars aren't necessarily simple, one thing that is simple is the statute of limitations. It seems awfully relevant, and the statute of limitations doesn't really care what the circumstances are (to my understanding, anyway)


Honest question, then: What is the statute of limitations on rape?

I know that for some crimes, there is no statute of limitations. I don't know whether rape is one of them.



As with nearly all laws, it varies by state. Some states have no statute of limitations for rape, some have 20 years, and some have as low as 5 years apparently.


> And don't wait 10 years to accuse someone.

This is a lot easier said than done. There is still a lot of stigma around rape victims today, especially when the rape victims aren't female.

Statistically most rapes in the military are committed against males. Most of these rapes aren't reported.




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