Please mods allow this thread to stay open! This could make an interesting discussion. Everybody has kept it cute and respectful so far, so I'd really appreciate you guys allowing this topic to continue.

Whenever you hear a story of rape, what makes people decide whom to side with?

A lot of people automatically side with a woman during a rape case (something I'm actually guilty of, since my instincts make me 100% believe Kesha). Should this be wrong, though? Are you siding with someone on the grounds that they're a woman and no other reason or are you siding because they're the victim?

If you're one of those people who automatically believe the woman, an interesting point is also that what about a female on female rape? Which one do you believe then? Same with male on male rape, would you take a side in that situation?

Is it wrong to take somebody's side? Is it sexist to automatically side with the woman (during a male on female rape)?

Are you one of those people who stays neutral?

I feel like there are several different opinions on this situation & we're all entitled to our opinions.

Also another interesting question (for those of you who say they side with the victim):

If somebody accused your parents or somebody close to you of raping them, would you still side with the victim?

If this thread doesn't get closed, a debate on this would be cool.

I always believe the victim

How do you know who is the victim?

If the accuser is lying, the the person the accuser accused is the victim.

Always the victim. Unless there is anything which would prove otherwise. "No proof" doesn't count to me at all, as rape is often hard to prove.

This basically. Rape culture <

Let's pretend we know each other in real life.

I falsely accuse you of raping me. How would you feel that everybody sides with me when you did nothing wrong?

I would always side with the victim if she's mentally sane and if she's not famous. Those two things would make me think twice tho.

True but when listening to the accuser, I'm going to automatically believe them

Depends on the evidence.

I usually side with whomever has a better reputation. In the case of Kesha vs Luke, Luke has actually had multiple accusations of his abusive nature in the past (albeit, not outright RAPE, but he has a reputation for being overbearing/abusive/etc).

That said, I do think in most cases it's best to wait for real evidence, because even if someone has a squeaky clean reputation it doesn't mean they're innocent, i.e. Bill Cosby.

This would make an interesting thread if people can keep it cute (but its ATRL so they wont).

Are you? Would you not believe a man who claimed the same thing?

A victim of a false accusation, not of rape. A false accusation is something incomparably less harmful than rape and is reversible. You can clear someone's name but you can't unrape them.

I would prove that I didn't, which wouldn't be difficult. You would have to make up a whole story with various details which I would expose by providing proof. And then, in the end, I would ask you to officially clear my name or else I'd threaten to sue you.

Why is this reported? This could make a decent debate since everybody has been polite so far

Victim, it should be guilty until proven innocence tbh

the victim

That's true! Never thought of it that way.

I can't tell. I don't know the facts

I've had friends that were raped and a friend falsely accused of rape, so that's a hard call to make.

Rape can also happen to males. This sort of thinking is why male victims never get the justice they deserve.

I would always believe the victim. To claim abuse is hard for the victim to come to terms with and then they have to cope and deal with the situation for a long period of time through a lengthy trial and victims of rape know the chance of the monster getting locked up is very small in 1 on 1 cases unless others come forward.

I think it's harmful to ALWAYS side with the victim 100% no matter what though. Because there have been plenty of cases where the "victim" was actually lying to get the "rapist" in trouble, or as some form of revenge. It happens quite a bit actually. It's a slippery slope.