Any one who hasn't experienced being raped can't fully understand what the victim is going through. And, because each case and person is unique, the person who was raped might not fully understand what someone else has been through. Before I get to the main point of this page, I want to urge any person who has been raped to report the crime immediately. Even if you're ashamed, embarrassed, or think no one will believe you, file a police report as soon as possible. You might be the only person who has the information needed to capture and stop the rapist.
      But this page isn't about actual cases of rape; it's about the many false reports filed every day. Every false report ties up the police who can be doing real work, send them searching for someone other than the real suspect, and make even more people think any report is false. Filing a false report not only eventually costs you money, it stands in the way of help being provided for the real victims.
      Don't jump on the bandwagon just to get revenge. You might have some reason to dislike the rapist other than actually being raped. You hear so-and-so is being accused and to get back at them for some other offense, you claim he/she also raped you. That person could even be innocent of the original charge because the other person was also making up the story to get revenge. Tied to this are the people who claim they've been raped so they can get their fifteen minutes of fame or money from high profile celebrities or other people. If you haven't been raped, keep your mouth shut.
      Innocent people also get labeled as rapists when the person making the report is trying to cover their own tracks. Too many women report a rape only when they find out they've become pregnant. It's not true they were raped, they just don't want their spouse to know they've been unfaithful. Younger girls try to dodge the anger of parents because they know or think the parents will be more supportive if the girl was raped. It's time people admit to their own bad behavior and face the consequences themselves instead of laying the blame on innocent people.
     As I said, if you've really been raped, report it as soon as possible after it happens. If you haven't been raped, don't claim you have been for any reason.