A father was most likely spared a rape conviction by a lawyer’s crash reading of the best-selling sadomasochistic sex novel Fifty Shades of Grey. The accuser was his daughter who admitted that she made the allegation to get back at her father. As we have previously discussed, such false rape case often do not result in charges for the false victim. In this case, there is no reference for such charges.
Defense barrister Cathy McCulloch has stated on her blog that the father was likely to be convicted based on the accusation of the daughter alone. Allegations of both incest and rape. However, McCulloch noted that the girl was using words that seemed beyond her years. She then noted that the father mentioned in passing that his daughter’s favorite book was “about a millionaire who takes a young woman under his wing and ‘teaches her about art’.” McCulloch, a former police officer, had never read the book but recognized the storyline. She actually made a rather unconventional motion: a delay to be allowed to finish the book. When done, she succeeded in cross examining the girl who admitted that she made up the allegations and attempted to see her father convicted of her false rape.
It took only seven minutes for McColluch to get the confession. It appears that no one in the police made such an effort and worked to convict an innocent father. The acquittal was ordered by the court, but there is no indication of charges against the daughter.
We have previously discussed how false rape accounts are often not punished (as in the case of the infamous Duke Lacrosse rape case) or lightly punished. There has been a variation of sentences for false rape charges but they vary greatly, including just a few weekends in jail. (here; here; here; here; here; here; here; here; and here).
My assumption is that the father would not want to bring charges even if the prosecutor was so inclined. Do you think that prosecutors should still bring charges in such cases?
Renegade,
A major shortcoming of email is that it is devoid of any visual cues of the poster. While I do think, as punishment, the teen girl should be handed over to Isis, that in no way, changes my open society views on crime and punishment.
Bob,
Forgot to thank you for such gracious assumptions and a wonderfully expressed intelligent response. Your autonomic flexation speaks well of your character and ability to discern a form of sarcasm.
Bob,
Sorry guy…it was tongue-in-cheek. Hyperbole, if you will.
The thread Was focused on the girl and her horrendous act.
The intent of my post was to take a tangent for a moment in view of other wierd child/parent cases.
Renegade,
I don’t know if you are serious or not. Certainly about indicting the grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. etc. ad nauseam.
OH sure, you can actually determine how kids will react and act out life. Well, parenting is one tough job. I guess that you are an expert having never even seen the kid or father, or family. I am glad that you think you are such an expert! And child abuse? Sure, why not. How about charges of generating too much greenhouse gas? That too must certainly qualify as child abuse to your way of thinking. What you likely don’t know, this family is in England. Please refrain from applying American law, logic, some illogical reasoning by our standards, to this situation.
Thank you.
I think the prosecutor should be ruthless, and that the father should disown his daughter.
There are some things that should never be forgiven, and this is clearly one of them. It is my hope that the father will never forgive her, and that he will see to it that she inherits one dollar – in order that she may be unable to dispute his intention in drawing up his will.