Cassandra Kennedy & False Rape Accusations

Would charging Cassandra Kennedy discourage sexual assault victims to come forward to report attacks?

Yes.	15.9%	[ 7 ]
No.	47.7%	[ 21 ]
Maybe/I don't know.	36.4%	[ 16 ]
Total Votes:			[ 44 ]

[Mrtyu-Mara]

So, while reading the news today, I stumbled upon a girl named Cassandra Kennedy.

The 23-year-old woman finally came clean a little over a decade later after accusing her father for three-counts of rape in 2001.

She told the police that she kinda-sorta lied about her father raping her when she accused him at age 11. "Kinda-sorta" meaning "100%, flat-out lied".

But here's the part that bothered me a little bit:

Quote:

But Cassandra Kennedy, from Longview, Washington, will not be charged as prosecutors fear it could stop others from reporting sexual assaults.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. She falsely accused a man, her father, of a serious crime such as rape, and put him behind bars because she wanted him to love her, and she didn't think he did at the time. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, that's the best way to win Daddy's love, AMIRITE? emotion_awesome

Kennedy got the idea of setting up her father from a friend, who's step-father had gone to prison for a child sex crime.

Cassandra Kennedy

'I thought that is what I would do to make my dad go away,' she told police.

She told a teacher about the abuse, using the codeword 'peace' to indicate when it had supposedly happened again.

Police said she repeated the stories with consistency and their details seemed beyond the sexual knowledge of an 11-year-old.

Kennedy later told police she became sexually active in second grade (Not sure what kind of sexual activity second graders engage in...Have the balls even dropped at that point? emotion_awesome ) and may have used what she had learned in films when talking to officers.

She also had trauma to her body consistent with a rape - but now police believe this could have been from sexual contact before her accusations.

Her father denied the allegation but a jury convicted him of three counts of rape of a child and he was sentenced to more than 15 years in jail.

It's the fact that she's not going to be charged is what's bothering me. The supposed speculation then that sexual assault victims won't come forward if Kennedy were to be charged for false accusation, or at least lying to the police.

This is a serious thing. Lying about rape is not okay, and shouldn't be acceptable. Why? Because rape is a serious crime to commit, and it should be (and is) a serious claim to make against some one.

Should false accusers of rape be punished?
Should Cassandra Kennedy (specifically) be charged for lying to the police and putting an innocent man in jail for 9-10 years?
Would charging those who falsely accuse someone of rape discourage sexual assault victims from reporting their attack?

[Firebird Trans Am GTA_87]

Jesus. ********. Christ.

[Ratttking]

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

[Mrtyu-Mara]

Ratttking

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Fix'd. 3nodding

[Robot Macai]

Ratttking

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Would this include putting them on the sex offender registry after release? For the crime of falsely accusing rape in a case like this.

[Aeggnis]

Oh my god! ...Who?

[Ratttking]

Robot Macai

Ratttking

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Would this include putting them on the sex offender registry after release? For the crime of falsely accusing rape in a case like this.

Hmm. That is a good point, but I think the sex offenders registry needs work, for example I do not think statutory rape should be on there. Could we consider a false accusation an attempt to facilitate rape? Many people are raped in prison.

[The Sky Does Not Bow]

What's the statute of limitations for perjury?

[Robot Macai]

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Would this include putting them on the sex offender registry after release? For the crime of falsely accusing rape in a case like this.

Hmm. That is a good point, but I think the sex offenders registry needs work, for example I do not think statutory rape should be on there. Could we consider a false accusation an attempt to facilitate rape? Many people are raped in prison.

I mean, I'm not a fan of the sex offender registry myself (after all, if they're such a threat still, why'd you let them out of the clink in the first place?), but if we're going to make up a whole new legal system for sex crimes, we may as well make up special rules just for women that falsely cry rape (rape shield laws that preclude identifying the plaintiff, or asking about things that could harm their credibility), such as automatically throwing any future accusations they make for a period of time out regardless of how obvious it was that they aren't lying (effectively legalizing their rape for a period), or simply adding them to the sex offender registry, etc

[Robot Macai]

The Sky Does Not Bow

What's the statute of limitations for perjury?

In Washington State? Three years.

That said, the fact that she lied about this is still evidence against future accusations issued by this woman. Valid evidence, at that. It'd be strong enough evidence against her to just casually throw out complaints filed by her, frankly.

[Ratttking]

Robot Macai

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Would this include putting them on the sex offender registry after release? For the crime of falsely accusing rape in a case like this.

Hmm. That is a good point, but I think the sex offenders registry needs work, for example I do not think statutory rape should be on there. Could we consider a false accusation an attempt to facilitate rape? Many people are raped in prison.

I mean, I'm not a fan of the sex offender registry myself (after all, if they're such a threat still, why'd you let them out of the clink in the first place?), but if we're going to make up a whole new legal system for sex crimes, we may as well make up special rules just for women that falsely cry rape (rape shield laws that preclude identifying the plaintiff, or asking about things that could harm their credibility), such as automatically throwing any future accusations they make for a period of time out regardless of how obvious it was that they aren't lying (effectively legalizing their rape for a period), or simply adding them to the sex offender registry, etc

Well, there are laws on the books against perjury, they just need to be enforced. Not just women can falsely accuse, either. Very good point about not letting them out in the first place.

My BF says that ancient Persia had a rule that false accusers could never again bear witness against anyone for the type of crime they falsely accused someone of.

OK, I agree. Put perjurers like that on the list.

[Robot Macai]

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Would this include putting them on the sex offender registry after release? For the crime of falsely accusing rape in a case like this.

Hmm. That is a good point, but I think the sex offenders registry needs work, for example I do not think statutory rape should be on there. Could we consider a false accusation an attempt to facilitate rape? Many people are raped in prison.

I mean, I'm not a fan of the sex offender registry myself (after all, if they're such a threat still, why'd you let them out of the clink in the first place?), but if we're going to make up a whole new legal system for sex crimes, we may as well make up special rules just for women that falsely cry rape (rape shield laws that preclude identifying the plaintiff, or asking about things that could harm their credibility), such as automatically throwing any future accusations they make for a period of time out regardless of how obvious it was that they aren't lying (effectively legalizing their rape for a period), or simply adding them to the sex offender registry, etc

Well, there are laws on the books against perjury, they just need to be enforced. Not just women can falsely accuse, either. Very good point about not letting them out in the first place.

My BF says that ancient Persia had a rule that false accusers could never again bear witness against anyone for the type of crime they falsely accused someone of.

OK, I agree. Put perjurers like that on the list.

Actually, I'd much prefer we get rid of the sex offender registry than add women who falsely cry rape to it. It's a stupid policy and doesn't actually help anything. My point was that, since a lot of formerly well-accepted Constitutional rights get seriously compromised in rape/molestation trials as a matter of policy, that it's only fair if some of the plaintiff's (usually a female) Constitutional rights get seriously compromised.

But really, when you get right down to it, I don't think in particularly legalistic terms. I really don't. That's why I'm going to post this:
Home of Cassandra Ann Kennedy; operated by Gary E Miller (Mountain Ministries; harborer of false rape accuser Cassandra Ann Kennedy) 5803 Rose Valley Rd.
Kelso, WA 98626
[phone]

Susan Irene Baur (Prosecuting attorney; failed to prosecute perjury charge because it would discourage girls from "coming forward")
312 SW 1st Ave
Kelso, WA 98626
[phone]

Why don't you give these people a call / write them a letter and tell them what you think about this situation?

[Keltoi Samurai]

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Would this include putting them on the sex offender registry after release? For the crime of falsely accusing rape in a case like this.

Hmm. That is a good point, but I think the sex offenders registry needs work, for example I do not think statutory rape should be on there. Could we consider a false accusation an attempt to facilitate rape? Many people are raped in prison.

I mean, I'm not a fan of the sex offender registry myself (after all, if they're such a threat still, why'd you let them out of the clink in the first place?), but if we're going to make up a whole new legal system for sex crimes, we may as well make up special rules just for women that falsely cry rape (rape shield laws that preclude identifying the plaintiff, or asking about things that could harm their credibility), such as automatically throwing any future accusations they make for a period of time out regardless of how obvious it was that they aren't lying (effectively legalizing their rape for a period), or simply adding them to the sex offender registry, etc

Well, there are laws on the books against perjury, they just need to be enforced. Not just women can falsely accuse, either. Very good point about not letting them out in the first place.

My BF says that ancient Persia had a rule that false accusers could never again bear witness against anyone for the type of crime they falsely accused someone of.

OK, I agree. Put perjurers like that on the list.

to take away her ability to bear witness against rape, though, would basically make her legally rapable. I can't justify allowing her to be raped for her sins. there has to be some middle ground by which we send a clear message that what she did was NOT COOL, while still maintaining that rape is also NOT COOL.

[catspook]

So, she was 11 when she made the accusation? Framing someone for rape is a serious thing and should be prosecuted, but I think the fact that she was a child when this started should be taken into account. How old was she when she actually made the testimony in court?

[Robot Macai]

Keltoi Samurai

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

Robot Macai

Ratttking

False accusers should receive the penalty that was imposed upon their victims, plus be forced to pay restitution.

Yes, she should.

I don't think it should make a difference. Please edit your post by removing the term "other" as false accusers were not victims of sexual assault.

Would this include putting them on the sex offender registry after release? For the crime of falsely accusing rape in a case like this.

Hmm. That is a good point, but I think the sex offenders registry needs work, for example I do not think statutory rape should be on there. Could we consider a false accusation an attempt to facilitate rape? Many people are raped in prison.

I mean, I'm not a fan of the sex offender registry myself (after all, if they're such a threat still, why'd you let them out of the clink in the first place?), but if we're going to make up a whole new legal system for sex crimes, we may as well make up special rules just for women that falsely cry rape (rape shield laws that preclude identifying the plaintiff, or asking about things that could harm their credibility), such as automatically throwing any future accusations they make for a period of time out regardless of how obvious it was that they aren't lying (effectively legalizing their rape for a period), or simply adding them to the sex offender registry, etc

Well, there are laws on the books against perjury, they just need to be enforced. Not just women can falsely accuse, either. Very good point about not letting them out in the first place.

My BF says that ancient Persia had a rule that false accusers could never again bear witness against anyone for the type of crime they falsely accused someone of.

OK, I agree. Put perjurers like that on the list.

to take away her ability to bear witness against rape, though, would basically make her legally rapable. I can't justify allowing her to be raped for her sins. there has to be some middle ground by which we send a clear message that what she did was NOT COOL, while still maintaining that rape is also NOT COOL.

Throwing acid on her face, or otherwise permanently disfiguring her, sounds like a fair compromise, here.