Sexual assault is one of the most serious crimes that a person can be charged with. Facing these charges is an incredibly scary experience, especially when you are being falsely accused of something you didn’t do and don’t know why. If you believe you are being falsely accused, here are some reasons why the alleged victim may be accusing you of sexual assault:
False Memories
The alleged victim may not be remembering the sexual encounter correctly. They could be simply misremembering the events. These memories can feel real even when they aren’t. Some times when these false memories may form include the following:
- Law enforcement officers aggressively question the alleged victim.
- A parent or other authority figure influences or manipulates the child to remember things differently.
- The alleged victim was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- The alleged victim has suffered from traumatic events that create memory gaps.
When false memories are involved, it may be necessary to work with an expert witness who can explain the human brain and how such false memories can form, but also how they are wrong, even if the alleged victim believes they are accurate.
Attempting to Gain a Legal Advantage
Sometimes, a person may claim rape so that they can try to get an upper hand in another legal proceeding, such as when seeking child custody or an order of protection. By saying the other party raped them, they may be able to get that person to move out of the house or to obtain full custody of their children.
Regret
Even if the sexual encounter was entirely consensual, one of the parties may experience regret afterwards because they cheated on their significant other, did not want to appear promiscuous, felt shame due to religious or personal values, or for other reasons. Rather than admit the encounter was consensual, they may try to frame it as non-consensual.
Revenge
In other cases, the victim’s motives are more nefarious. They may be accusing the defendant of sexual assault because they know that the penalties are high and want them to face them, even when they didn’t do anything to deserve that. The alleged victim may be trying to seek revenge from the defendant for breaking up with them, cheating, or doing something else that caused offense.
Being Influenced by Others
Sometimes, alleged victims can confide in others who ultimately convince them to push for criminal charges. They may be encouraged to report action as a sexual assault, even when that is not what happened. This is particularly true of alleged victims who are young or vulnerable.
Contact The Law Office of Elaine E. Lukic for Your Confidential Case Review Today
These are just a few of the reasons why false allegations of sexual assault can arise. Others include that the alleged victim wants attention or sympathy, is mentally unstable, wants to have a basis to file a civil claim, or has mistaken the defendant for someone else. At The Law Office of Elaine E. Lukic, we carefully review cases and investigate why the alleged victim is accusing you of rape. Call us today at (888) 565-2217 or contact us online for a confidential initial consultation.