Why is it these rape and assault allegations always emerge over a year after they happened? I doubt Ben Roethlisberger can answer that question, because the idea of waiting that long to report something as serious as those things is hard to rationalize—unless of course the person is trying to make a quick buck off of a false accusation and a quick settlement. These days, I would not put it past anyone, because this kind of thing has happened before.
The idea of waiting this long to report a rape or sexual assault while the assailant is out walking around free for an entire year is ridiculous. And frankly, because it IS Ben Roethlisberger, he is not going to be that hard to find to bring him in to court. A guy that big with that kind of recognition is hard to miss and if this woman wanted to get justice, it would have happened a long time ago if what she claims is true. Seeing how she is not bringing a criminal complaint against him, this should cast an even greater doubt on this alleged claim.
The problem with the accusations of rape is it destroys reputations, even if the person being accused is in fact innocent. In most situations, the accuser’s name is never revealed, but the accused has his name thrown up on every news station, paper, and radio program in a way that that makes it so the person is guilty until proven innocent. Even then, there is always going to be doubt as to whether or not that person actually did the rape, unless the evidence is so overwhelmingly in the person’s favor that it did not happen. This is not always the case.
Lest we have seen this before at a university you might have heard of: Duke. The lacrosse players had their names dragged through the mud for a very long time, only in the end up being found innocent after having their reputations destroyed. They filed a lawsuit to seek damages, and rightfully so.
If the rights of the accuser are protected, I believe the rights of the accused should also be protected, in the event the claim being brought against him is bogus. It is her word against his, and if the guy is actually innocent, he still has to vigorously defend himself. The names of the accused and the accuser should not be revealed, simply in the interest of fairness and protecting the reputation of both people until a verdict is reached. If the accuser has a legitimate claim, the accused can still be arrested. If the accuser has a bogus claim, at least the accused will not have to be a billboard and the center of media attention.
If you have thoughts on this, I would like to hear them.
The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown
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