In most instances, the people who know the truth about a sexual assault claim are the victim and the aggressor. The rest of us are left to speculate, especially in high profile incidents.

It’s completely fair to ponder the legitimacy of a case if little to no proof exists, either in favor of the accuser or the accused. False accusations and lapses in the justice system are both very real and very damaging after all.

But that isn’t the argument that many people make. THESE are the arguments that many people make:

“The accuser received money. Therefore, she must be lying.”

“The accuser is ugly. Therefore, she must be lying.”

“The accuser just wants attention. Therefore, she must be lying.”

“The accuser waited until now to tell someone. Therefore, she must be lying.”

The excuses that have been used to discredit both alleged and confirmed victims (that’s women AND men alike) are rude, illogical, and contribute to a larger problem: a society in which victims become too afraid to tell their stories.

I have heard the stories of many women and several men. All of them were the same. The victims were too afraid to speak out about their experiences for one reason or another. No one went to trial and justice was never served.

Read the rest by Zuri Davis at Rare.