Welcome back. We’ve been talking about why a person would lie about having consensual sex with someone, and accuse them of rape instead. It may seem inconceivable, but it really happens, and for a lot of possible reasons. As we explained in the previous article, shame is one common motivating factor, and fear of the consequences is another. But those aren’t the only two reasons people lie about consensual sex, there are other explanations as well…
- They were too intoxicated to remember:
It happens. You have a few too many at the bar, stumble home with someone you met earlier in the evening, and wake up to a world of regret and asprin in the morning. But regretting your drunken choices is one thing, lying to explain away your tequila-fueled decision making is a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.
Whether it was drugs, or alcohol, or both, many people know what it’s like to wake up the morning after and think, “Oh no! What did I do last night?” But pretending you never consented to sex because you regret your booze-choice, or worse – you consented but were too far gone to even remember that you said yes, is a recipe for disaster. So if this sounds like your situation, you’re going to need a REALLY good defense attorney to help fix this problem! Note that under Michigan law, a person cannot legally consent to sex if they are so intoxicated as to lack the ability to form a voluntary agreement.
- They’re getting revenge:
People do all kinds of terrible things in the name of revenge. (Ever heard of ‘revenge porn‘?) From keying cars and tossing bricks through windows, to threatening physical harm and spreading malicious rumours. So it doesn’t require a special leap of imagination to figure that some people will make false accusations of rape to get even with someone who slighted them, or hurt their feelings.
Interestingly, studies have shown that people who make false allegations of rape often have a history of other bizarre fabrications, or fraudulent criminal activities. A classic example of this is Crystal Mangum, the woman who falsely accused the Duke lacrosse team of rape. She was later revealed to have made other, previous false allegations of rape, had a criminal record, suffered from substance abuse issues, and was ultimately convicted of murder in an unrelated case.
Telling victims from liars is extremely difficult!
As we mentioned before, most sexual assault victims really are victims, and should be believed. Here in Michigan, we learned that lesson from convicted felon Larry Nassar. There is a percentage, however, that aren’t, and that’s where it gets tricky. We understand that sometimes, it can be difficult to tell the liars from the victims, and no one wants to accuse a real victim of lying, so it can become difficult to prove your innocence. Also, evidence of consensual sex occasionally looks very similar to evidence of non-consensual sex, so it often comes down to ‘he said/she said’ in court, which can be challenging to fight. And that’s where a skilled defense attorney comes in.
We have a long history of success fighting false allegations!
Here at The Kronzek Firm, we have spent more than a quarter century fighting false allegations for wrongfully accused people in Michigan. Whether it’s rape, child molestation, revenge porn, or some other sex crime, we can help. It doesn’t matter what you’ve been accused of, or where in Michigan’s lower peninsula you live – Lansing, Grand Rapids, Adrian, St. Joseph or Kalamazoo – our skilled sex crime defense attorneys have a long history of success when it comes to fighting sex crime allegations. Call 866 766 5245 today and get the help you need, from the people best equipped to provide it.