Although there are two sides to every story, when someone claims to have been raped or sexually assaulted, it may be difficult to disprove those allegations. There have multiple legal cases throughout the years involving Wisconsin men and women who have falsely accused another person of a sex crime, simply to seek revenge or inflict punishment on someone. Not only do these accusations hurt the life and reputation of the innocent person who is accused of a crime, but it can create disbelief in subsequent outcries of rape in the future.
Such a situation occurred in Washington when a reputable program manager for Microsoft was falsely accused of rape. A woman who worked in the same building as the man was thought to be seeking worker’s compensation funds for trauma she stated came from the rape incident. The woman claimed that the man took advantage of her as she was cleaning his office. The man’s story indicated that the woman explicitly asked for a sexual confrontation and that the act was consensual. He was then charged with second-degree rape and spent one day in jail before posting bail.
The man is struggling to regain his composure after spending 11 months anxiously awaiting the outcome of the charges. He was terrified at the prospects of having to register as a sex offender and spend a significant amount of time in jail for a crime that he did not commit. The woman was found to have made false rape allegations in the past. All charges were dropped earlier this month.
Being wrongfully charged of a crime can be extremely devastating. The stress alone can cause emotional trauma that may last a lifetime. A criminal defense attorney may be helpful in representing your case and finding a way for you to reclaim your life after a disturbing experience.
Source: Seattle Pi, “Microsoft worker accused in on-campus rape ‘trying to reclaim his life,” Levi Pulkkinen, July 10, 2014.