There is a misconception that women lie about sexual assault or sexual assault. Right in the sweet spot between sexuality and gender is where the politics of rape cases lie. Poised between the two, these cases are fraught with arguments on the controversy of many aspects. Consent, penetration, duration, and identification are all rape and sexual assault concepts that must be addressed in a case. As if the act of assault and rape in and of itself wasn't bad enough, victims have to undergo trial in court to hope that their attacker will be prosecuted accordingly. However, because the idea of consent is not something that is easy to prove and clearly define, victims are vulnerable to a completely guilty defendant walking free. One aspect of rape and sexual assault cases that needs to be changed is the identification of the victim themselves. A victim should have every right to completely hide their identity from the outside press, be exempt from court appearances and, above all, have as little or no contact as possible with their abuser. Obviously this poses problems in several ways, which will be discussed. Because of our legal system, it is true that you are innocent until proven guilty. However, in the case of rape and assault, evidence and evidence are not easy to obtain or provide. Women must undergo extensive and painful procedures to produce a rape kit. Furthermore, given the longevity of their cases, their attacker is still at large for months until the final verdict is rendered. Until precautions and better rules are put in place to protect these victims who are trying to pursue legal action against someone who physically violated them, these victims will still be victims, regardless of the verdict handed down. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The most important fact to understand about rape and sexual assault is that it can happen to anyone. Men and women, children and the elderly, etc. And only 6% of accusations over a 10-year period were proven by a study to be false accusations. (VAW) Rape and sexual assault are not something to be taken lightly, yet those who take their attacker to court end up exposing their identity only for the attacker to go free or, in cases like Brock Turner, serve measly 3 months while minorities serve life sentences. for drugs in prison. How is it possible that in prison the possession of marijuana is worth more than the abuse and physical violence against a human being? We must ask ourselves whether the justice system is treating victims of rape and sexual violence well, and if not, why? The Central Park Jogger case exemplifies how a horrendous case of rape, sodomy and assault can somehow end with DNA evidence proving an assailant, yet they still walk free. Trisha Meili was a woman jogging in Central Park in April 1989 when she was physically assaulted to the point of being left in a coma for 12 days. One of the most publicized cases of the 1980s, Trisha confirmed in her 2003 memoir about the attack that she still experiences physiological after-effects of the attack such as memory loss. And while in 2002 a man named Matias Reyes was found guilty of the assault through DNA evidence, due to the statute of limitations when he confessed, Reyes was not prosecuted for Meili's assault. A woman who was literally found 4 hours after her attack, bound, gagged and covered in mudand blood, did not get due justice from a court. The name of a woman who had lost 80% of her blood due to 5 deep stab wounds, suffered from hypothermia, severe brain damage and class 4 haemorrhagic shock just 2 days after the attack while still in a coma. The cruel fascination we have with the accuser and the victim and not with the accused must end. Another case worth investigating is that of Patricia Bowman. One who would have kept her identity secret if she hadn't been exposed by the Boston Globe and the New York Times. The verdict in his case was not guilty. This came as a surprise to very few people after the judge rejected the testimony of 3 other women who also claimed that her attacker had sexually assaulted them in the 1980s. So the jury took just an hour and 17 minutes to make its decision, without asking for any testimony or asking any questions of the judge. With the prominence of his attacker as the grandson of JFK and Kennedy himself, and his family's ability to call on the best lawyer money could buy with an immaculate track record, Bowman unfortunately didn't have much of a chance of standing trial. His trial was a disaster because the defendant managed to instill reasonable doubt in the jury. And as unfortunate as it may be, Bowman was proven to be under suspicion due to a child born out of wedlock, previous cocaine use and 3 abortions he had. All of this added up to the ultimate case of a tarnished reputation for Bowman's attacker. Again a Doctor, again Kennedy, he left the case at most with the impossibility of falling back into silent oblivion. Yet 3 women's stories of sexual assault by him were never heard by the jury or the public. And Bowman, whose identity was revealed to the world without his consent, continues to receive mail about the case, but without justice. In examining these cases, there is something that needs to be addressed. In cases of rape and of a sexual nature there will always be a hint of doubt. Because these cases are circumstantial and word-of-mouth based, they can easily be swept under the rug and a rapist can go free. Change is needed within the system to prevent rape and sexual violence and punish those who inflict it on others. There needs to be a change in how we prosecute and handle these cases, and a solution to ensure that perpetrators do not walk away scot-free. The victim is called a victim for a reason: they were attacked, beaten, destroyed, and hurt physically and emotionally. 93% of victims suffer from PTSD for the rest of their lives. They are also 10 times more likely to turn to hard drugs and as many as 33% of them contemplate suicide. Rape and sexual assault are not charges that any woman or man seeking justice takes lightly. Yet many do not receive the due justice they rightly deserve. These statistics show that this is a legitimate issue that needs to be addressed accordingly. With something as serious as rape and sexual assault, why are so many perpetrators free through DNA evidence like Matias Reyes or only serving 3 months in prison like Brock Turner? The systematic result is that courts are unable to prosecute these rapists due to court deadlines. A victim who cannot remain anonymous in his or her court case may not feel it is worth trying. A victim who sees Brock Turner walk away virtually unscathed may feel that it is not worth the money and effort. A victim who investigates and investigates previous rape cases, only to find that if her attacker was caught selling marijuana he would receive a conviction..
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