(edited title) False allegations of rape and domestic violence are few and far between

[sibelian]

89. Uh, yes we DO have to worry about rape accusations and acquittal

for several reasons:

1. In cases where the rape actually occurred the perpetrator may very well feel emboldened to repeat the crime
2. In cases where the rape did NOT occur we have an innocent person who will now have to face the stigma of suspicion long after the acquittal as acquittal often isn't good enough in the eyes of the public as there is a narrative of rape convictions for ACTUAL rape being lower than they should be, so you know, no smoke without fire...
3. In cases where the rape did NOT occur we have an accuser who has been trying to use the justice system presumably for totally nefarious purposes, availing themselves of the facts that rape usually occurs in private and that victim testimony being of greater weight than in other cases gives them a good chance of exploiting the system, and this accuser is now usually able to walk away. Courts do not typically prosecute rape accusers in cases of acquittal.

None of these issues are somehow morally insignificant, the rate at which they occur isn't a factor in determining their significance. We don't decide bad things are okay or somehow a "distraction" because they don't happen very often.