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Siding with the victim: Some laws in Texas could hurt your case

On Behalf of | Mar 18, 2015 | Sexual Assault

Sexual assaults are not something anyone wants to go through in Texas. On the other side of the coin, no one wants to be accused of assault, either. Sometimes, misunderstandings and hurt feelings, especially in cases involving one-night stands, could lead to accusations that are hurtful and untrue. These can lead to accusations against you that you need to defend yourself against.

A report from March 6 has discussed how sexual assault on campuses could be addressed in the future. Many of the steps suggested side with alleged victims, but it’s important to remember that any allegation needs to be fully investigated, too. There are some good things that could come out of the potential law changes, though.

For example, right now, sexual assaults on campus don’t always get reported right away. It’s up to the victims to decide if they want to go to police. Some states are trying to change this, making every campus report of sexual assault something that is required to be filed with local authorities. That’s in direct conflict with federal laws, especially because it conflicts with the victim’s interests.

This could also affect the alleged perpetrator, since some of the alleged victims may decide not to move forward with filing a report because of second thoughts about what happened. If laws pass requiring a report from the victim, this could potentially put both people in a position to face struggles with the law that they didn’t want or need to go through.

The article says it’s important for colleges to report sexual assault cases, even if no victim is present to discuss it with police. Protecting victim privacy is important, and knowing real dangers on campus is wise, too, without putting innocent students at risk with false allegations.

Source: Denton RC, “Campus sexual assaults targeted” David Crary, Mar. 06, 2015

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