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IPFS News Link • Legislative Mischief

The Abby Honold Act Will Gut Justice

• https://www.fff.org by Wendy McElroy

The police respond, "the young woman's allegation is the only evidence, and her account has shifted several times about when and where. Now prove you did not rape her." This Kafkaesque scenario inverts the presumption of innocence by assuming you are guilty merely because you are accused.

A bill before Congress seeks to gut the presumption of innocence upon which all of due process rests. The Abby Honold Act would fund and expand "trauma-informed" law enforcement in police departments across the land. This #Metoo-approach to allegations of sexual abuse requires the police to "believe the woman" and automatically view her as a victim. The Act redefines due process and objective police work as attacks on accusers because the presumption of innocence is granted to an accused and the burden of proof is placed on an accuser who is asked for evidence. (Men are victimized by sexual abuse, as well — and at rates similar to women — but male victims constitute a small percent of reported assaults.)


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