The sexual assault charges brought against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant were dismissed Wednesday afternoon, but left in their wake a larger issue - how rape and rape victims should be treated.

Bryant is one of the most famous defendants in a rape trial in years. The treatment of the plaintiff in this case, victim or not, is what the next actual victim is left to compare their experience to. Needless to say, the Bryant case - be he innocent or guilty - is a very bad example for victims.

The very public way that the plaintiff's personal information was dealt with in this trial is a looming problem, essentially setting a bad example for future rape victims who may see this treatment as routine. They run the risk of shying away from what could be construed as an instant scandal at a national level.

Unfortunately, rape statistics are, and will continue to be, inaccurate because of the amount of people who are unwilling to come forward after an incident. If we continue this trend, we are perpetuating the myth that rapes and sexual assaults should be kept secret. This trial could have been a good example of a woman who came forward against the giant public spotlight. However, it turned into a hostile scrutiny of her public life coupled with a bungled prosecution - exactly the reasons most people don't come forward.

This trial may very well initiate a step forward for rape shield law advocates. Shield laws illustrate the necessity of limiting the amount of information about alleged victims that can be used in court.

Any avid eye on Eagle County, Colo. over the past 14 months knows how badly Bryant's accuser was maligned based on personal information.