Zak Smith is suing his accusers

[DammitVictor]

I mainly objected to the dripping rhetoric of "sad, scared little men" and "working so hard", but I guess it doesn't matter.

Yeah, you're right. My post would've been better without that wordage, and I was already spoiling for a fight.

Though your sudden bout of reasonableness has robbed me of the opportunity to tell you that "facts don't care about your feelings", and I was really looking forward to doing that.

The source of my statistics is the DOJ, though I'll be damned if I could cough up a link without getting way too friendly with Google. I cheated a little... man isn't more likely to be raped than to be falsely accused of rape; technically, he's more likely to be raped than to be charged with rape under any circumstances. So... y'know... it doesn't count false allegations that don't lead to legal action.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, a slight quibble here.

Statistics are fine in the aggregate, and, perhaps, to try and illustrate a broader point (that you don't have to be any more terrified of being falsely accused of this than of any other crime), but I prefer not to apply it to much in the specifics.

Because that includes some outlandish and untrue claims, as well as rock-solid claims, in general. So, AFAIC, it's easier for me to view, say, this particular incident and run it through a few common-sense checks:

1. Is it one person, or are there multiple people (pattern and practice)?

2. Does the individual accused have other factors that might indicate that they are likely to have engaged in the behavior (for example, misogyny, power issues, other behaviors).

3. Is there corroboration? Of any kind?

4. What do others, for example co-workers, have to say? Do they leap to the defense, or are they like, "Oof, I saw that coming. Should have said something sooner."

....and so on.

I mean, this one seems to hit all the boxes I can think of, which is why I (something something Bayes) tend to not focus on the overall statistics.

True- some claims are more outlandish and less likely to pass the sniff test than others. That’s why you need to keep an open mind (as I edited in while you posted this).

The more red flags a claim raises, the less I’m going to give it credence. But I also note that some sexual predators with money and influence have been proven to have done some truly outrageous things.

 

[Blue]

I don’t judge anyone I don’t know as guilty of anything unless I can see the evidence. Just like i hope no one ever does to me. I can completely understand the girls parents siding with her and her friends believing her. And the same for the guys friends and family. I would not want to be judged by these standards. It is terrifying that i would be.

If your child repeated accused their babysitter of sexual harassment would you continue to hire the babysitter until there was proof one way or the other?

 

[Arnwolf666]

If your child repeated accused their babysitter of sexual harassment would you continue to hire the babysitter until there was proof one way or the other?

I already answered that question. If you were the one being accused, how would you want the public to treat you?

 

[Gradine]

...and appropriate calls of hypocrisy can be just as easily swept aside with claims to ideological purity that couldn't possibly withstand real-world scrutiny, because it doesn't have to.

 

[Blue]

I already answered that question. If you were the one being accused, how would you want the public to treat you?

That was one question was on a list of many, I wanted to make sure that in cases where you had responsibilities outside yourself if this would still hold true.

We do not live in a world of absolutes and you could be endangering the child you are responsible for via inaction.

If your child is making false accusations against their babysitter, the result of not re-hiring a babysitter is a slight decrease in their pay assuming they can not fill hours elsewhere.

If you child is legitimately getting sexually assaulted and you ignore it, the result is grave.

I do have a follow up question.

You child has repeated said their babysitter sexually assaults them. While you continue to employ the babysitter, would you also report this to the police so that they can start to investigate? Or since they are innocent there is no need to report it since there could not be a crime without them?

 

[cmad1977]

I am terrified of being accused falsely of domestic violence, sexual misconduct, and rape because of how being falsely accused can destroy you. I wake up terrified of that everyday.

That’s either cowardice or a guilty conscience.

 

[Arnwolf666]

That was one question was on a list of many, I wanted to make sure that in cases where you had responsibilities outside yourself if this would still hold true.

We do not live in a world of absolutes and you could be endangering the child you are responsible for via inaction.

If your child is making false accusations against their babysitter, the result of not re-hiring a babysitter is a slight decrease in their pay assuming they can not fill hours elsewhere.

If you child is legitimately getting sexually assaulted and you ignore it, the result is grave.

I do have a follow up question.

You child has repeated said their babysitter sexually assaults them. While you continue to employ the babysitter, would you also report this to the police so that they can start to investigate? Or since they are innocent there is no need to report it since there could not be a crime without them?

I said if it was my family or friends and I knew the people I would believe them. But with people I don’t know I would be skeptical and keep an open mind and need either real good evidence or a conviction. I don’t see that here. it could be either way with the articles I have read and the links people here have sent me. He doesn’t seem like a nice person but that does not make him guilty. So I am going to treat him like I hope people would treat me if I was accused of the same thing.

 

[Arnwolf666]

That’s either cowardice or a guilty conscience.

So I’m either a coward or guilty of something. Well if I’m accused it must be true.

 

[generic]

So I’m either a coward or guilty of something. Well if I’m accused it must be true.

Calm down, dude, no one's accusing you of anything.

This thread has gotten way off track.