I'm glad this is finally being talked about more openly. Most of the stuff I've seen regarding issues of false accusations comes from MRAs and the like. And while I don't see an issue with MRAs as a rule, the general public seems to take issue which means that most of the discussion coming from men's rights forums isn't taken seriously.

I've been nervous about this issue since the #metoo movement and "believe the victim" slogans first started making rounds. As a female who has been assaulted and violated sexually at various points in my life, my instinct is to support believing the victim because had I been believed, I would have gone through far less pain. But that's the problem. It seems like a good idea, especially to people like me who have experienced sexual violence, but it is not at all a good idea. You cannot sacrifice innocent lives to make sure that every victim has justice. That's not justice!

We face a really difficult obstacle right now. Many victims do not have proof that they were assaulted, especially if they were not penetrated or also physically assaulted, which means that many victims will never get justice if we do not automatically believe them. That's uncomfortable and painful, but that's an issue we have to sort out while also understanding that our axiom "innocent until proven guilty" is an axiom that also prevents abuse.