HOUSE BILL The Protection From False Sexual... (Debating)

[Mike Thick]

Not to be rude, but why is this necessary? Perjury is already a crime, after all; I'm afraid I don't see why sexual assault needs its own special law against false testimony.

This. In addition, I would argue that the culture of victim-blaming in incidents where sexual assault does take place is a far more pressing issue, and this bill would just compound that, providing further incentive for these horrendous crimes to go unreported.

[Mike Thick]

Not to be rude, but why is this necessary? Perjury is already a crime, after all; I'm afraid I don't see why sexual assault needs its own special law against false testimony.

This. In addition, I would argue that the culture of victim-blaming in incidents where sexual assault does take place is a far more pressing issue, and this bill would just compound that, providing further incentive for these horrendous crimes to go unreported.

I agree with this concern, hence why I mentioned three days ago that whatever is done, it cannot impede the prosecution and investigation of serious crimes of rape and sexual assault that occur every single day in this country.

I would also note that the damaging aspects of the false accusations of crime occur in relation to more laws than just those pertaining to sexual misconduct and so it is a mistake to singularly focus on those and those alone.

I think at this point, this should be amended to a bill that increases the penalties for perjury for all crimes. While at the same time providing more protections for witnesses of all crimes. This will help both put away lawbreakers and also help with those who are wrongly accused/convicted, as there are a number of instances where people were convicted of murder but there were witnesses who could have provided testimony that exonerated them, but weren't called.

If ones concern is the protection of people from wrongful prosecutions and even more importantly, wrongful conviction, then we should do everything possible to protect and encourage witnesses to come forward and tell the truth.   

I think this is a far more reasonable alternative.