As a former rape counselor, I have a few comments I wanted to add to the story "Student not sexually assaulted, filed false police report" (SN 7/28).

One source in the story (Olin Health educator Dennis Martell) said people might falsely report a rape because they regret having sex, or "for attention."

Given the kind of attention rape survivors receive, I suspect that's rare.

Rape survivors are often blamed for being raped in the first place, as people demand to know, "What were you drinking?" or "Why were you walking alone?" Many times, they aren't believed at all, even by friends and family.

Another reason I've heard for falsely reporting a sexual assault is to get back at a boy. However, the revenge theory seems weak, given our legal system.

I remember a much-publicized rape case at MSU. The defendant admitted to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 13-year-old.

He got 30 days in jail. Filing a false report, on the other hand, "is a felony that carries a penalty of up to four years in prison and a $2,000 fine."

It's good to know where our priorities are.

Could there be other reasons involved for so-called false reports?

It's common for friends of the accused rapist to harass victims until they recant.

Rapists often threaten their victims, promising far worse if they tell anyone what happened.

Given all this, combined with the nightmare of pressing charges in a rape case - harassment from lawyers, facing the rapist in court, and knowing that even a guilty verdict will likely result in a slap on the wrist - perhaps we should be more amazed anyone comes forward at all.

Jim Hines
1996 MSU graduate