Faumuina 1

Prince John Faumuina

English 120
April 25, 2016
Should Women Be Jailed for False Accusations of Rape?

Rape is a very real thing, and a trigger for a lot of people in the world. In todays society,
it has been a known fact that men are the primary offenders in rape cases. Men are the ones who
rape women, and are rightfully sent to jail to pay for their actions against others. More than that,
men are subject to do things such as registering as sex offenders, having to stay within a certain
distance away from school zones, etc. It is a common misconception that false rape cases are
only 2 to 8 percent of the time. This paper will examine this and other statistics, and whether
women should be jailed for falsely accusing others of raping them.

To be able to talk about rape and its implications, we must first define rape and what it is.
Generally, rape is rape is defined as sexual contact or penetration achieved without consent,
with use of physical force, when the victim is mentally incapacitated or impaired, physically
impaired, asleep or unconscious (Pandoras Project, 2009). Using this definition, we are able to
move forward and talk about the rape accusations that happen, especially in the collegiate sports
world. Speaking in the context of New Mexico, we can look into the possible outcomes of a rape
accusation or rape charge if found guilty. Sexual penetration that involves force or coercion
resulting in great bodily harm or great mental damage is a felony in the first degree. Penalties
include a fine of up to $15,000, up to 18 years in prison, or both (Steiner, n.d.). These fines
seem to be appropriate for the crime of rape and sexual assault. What we dont see is the

Faumuina 2
penalties for people who falsely accuse others. It is common among college athletes, especially
those who are having particularly good seasons, to have a rape case against them. In specific, the
case of Corey Mock, the collegiate wrestler who was falsely accused of rape and suffered all of
the implications. Wrestler at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Mock was well known
around campus for his studies as well as his wrestling prowess. Entering his senior year, Mock
was ranked fourth in the nation (Staff, 2015). Mock was accused of raping fellow UTC student
Molly Morris, while both attending a party. After Morris pressed charges and sent Mock to court,
where initially he was found guilty, his entire life had been changed. Mock was immediately
removed from the wrestling team after they learned of the judges verdict. Not only that, but
Coreys father, wrestling coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, had lost his
job soon after the university learned of this ordeal going on with his son. Both father and son had
been removed of their passion for wrestling, over an allegation made by a female student that
was later deemed to be not true due to lack of evidence. While not downplaying the importance
of putting rapists behind bars, we have to look at the fact that not all rape accusations are true.

According to RAINN women 18-24 who are enrolled in college are three times more
likely than women in general to suffer from sexual violence (RAINN, 2014). Seeing a statistic
like this is enough to allow anyone to wonder how it is so prevalent for women to be at such high
risk for rape or attempted rape. Another statistic of RAINN is that 68% of sexual assaults are
not reported to police. We see that only a small number of rape cases are reported to the
authorities, but it is uncertain how many of the cases reported are accurate in their accusation.
Another important statistic is the one about false accusations of rape. Its a common statistic that
is falsely reported which states that only 2 to 8 percent of rape cases are false. With such a high

Faumuina 3
number of rapes and sexual assaults happening around campuses it is important to see the
validity and reliability of these reported incidents. It would be a mistake to conclude, on the
basis of the existing evidence, that nine out of ten assault claims are genuine (Richwine, 2015).
With so much uncertainty on the basis of how reliable the reports are, it can be assumed that
lying about such an important claim should lead to some sort of consequences for the party that
lied. The case of Corey Mock would be a prime example of this. Even though a judge later
overruled the first verdict of Mock being guilty of rape, he was already being treated as someone
who committed a horrible, unforgivable crime. Since the first trial, Mock was told that it would
be better if he avoided all social gatherings held by the school and proceeded to live a solitary
lifestyle. Corey was also kicked out of UTC, although an appeal later let him stay during the
duration of his trials. After the final verdict had proven that Mock did in fact not rape Morris, we
dont see Morris being charged with anything for falsely accusing Mock. Mock loses his national
ranking in the collegiate wrestling arena, his father loses his job as head coach of the wrestling
team, yet when it is proven otherwise and too late to overturn these actions, Molly Morris faces
no reprimand. When looked at from another perspective, women can use false rape accusations
to defame collegiate athletes and essentially ruin any chance they have of making it into the big
leagues or even being able to graduate from their desired university. False accusations should be
taken more seriously and in cases as in the one of Corey Mock there should be a punishment for
those who falsely accuse others of doing these horrible things. It cant be fair to ruin one persons
life and not face any kind of reprimand.

Rape should always be considered a serious crime and those who commit the act need to
be dealt with accordingly. However, there are more instances than thought about those who

Faumuina 4
falsely accuse people of such actions who receive no consequence for it. We have seen the
implications of false accusations and what they can do to peoples lives and their families lives.
Such as the case of Corey Mock, we see that a false accusation can take someone from the top
and literally leave them at the bottom. Others arent as lucky as Corey Mock, and are charged
with rape and found guilty. This condemns them to a life in prison and paying large amounts of
money for something that they did not do. We can see how severe the penalties are for someone
who is found guilty, but those who falsely accuse others are not seen as a criminal of any sort.
Especially in the case of women who falsely accuse others of rape, society allows them to not
only fall into the victim aspect of the case, but also allows them to stay there and not be seen as a
bad person even though theyve ruined someone elses life from saying they did something that
didnt actually happen to them.

Faumuina 5

Annotated Bibliography
Pandoras Project. (2009). What is Rape? Retrieved April 21, 2016, from
Pandoras Project: http://www.pandys.org/whatisrape.html
Pandoras Project helped me in my research by providing a great
definition as to what rape really is. It was precise and accurate and did not
leave out any details in regards to what rape can and cannot be. When
looking for a solid definition of rape/sexual assault this definition served as a
great talking point. The context of use for this definition allowed me to go
right into what I wanted to talk about regarding rape. The clear definition left
no room for grey areas that would allow for loop holes.
RAINN. (2014, May). RAINN Statistics. Retrieved April 13, 2016, from RAINN:
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network: https://rainn.org/statistics
RAINN Statistics was one of the more helpful sites that I was able to
find in doing my research. The actual statistics found on the site allowed me
to actually put numbers into my paper while greatly allowed me to have a
stronger paper in the form of facts. RAINN allowed me to have a stronger
ethos, and also allowed me to deliver facts about rape that I otherwise may
not have stated. Although not completely relevant to my overall topic, the
facts and statistics provided by this site allowed me to create an overall well
rounded paper.
Richwine, J. (2015, April 6). That "Only 2 to 8 Percent of Rape Accusations
Are False" Stat Is Extremely Misleading. Retrieved April 22, 2016, from
National Review: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/416536/howcommon-are-false-rape-charges-really-jason-richwine
This article by Jason Richwine was extremely helpful, since it is a
common misconception that only 2 to 8 percent of rape accusations are
false. Not everyone knows that the number is actually vastly greater. By not
knowing this, we as a society fall into a stigma that rape actually happens all
of the time. Instead of allowing people to become another statistic, it would
be better to actually be able to stop those who are falsely accusing. This
article does a good job on shedding light on the topic of false accusations
and how important it is to be able to stop them, just like it is important to
stop rape from happening in general.
Staff, C. F. (2015, October 19). Father Speaks out after college-athlete son
cleared of rape:"How many young men have had their lives
destroyed?". Retrieved April 12, 2016, from The College Fix:
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/24688/

Faumuina 6

The case of Corey Mock and what happened to him as a result of the
rape charges that were brought about against him by Molly Morris are the
central part of this paper. This is a specific case where a false rape
accusation essentially ruins the life of a collegiate athlete, although he did
nothing wrong. Not only that, we see the implication brought on to his family
from the accusation (i.e his father losing his job). This article was crucial in
being able to write a successful paper. It has helped me not only develop a
thesis but also be able to pick a side when talking about rape cases.
Steiner, M. (n.d.). New Mexico Sexual Battery Laws. Retrieved April 13, 2016,
from Criminal Defense Lawyer:
http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/criminal-defense/sexcrimes/new-mexico-sexual-battery-laws.htm
Criminal defense lawyers helped me find facts about what can happen
to someone who is charged with sexual assault or rape. This site allowed me
to find out how serious a rape charge really is, and knowing that New Mexico
is one of the more lenient states when it comes to handling these kinds of
charges, it is easy to imagine how much worse it can be for someone who is
charged with rape based on false claims. This site was most helpful in being
able to see what the charge is called and what the immediate penalty is for a
charge.