Opinion: Sexual assault allegations should always be taken seriously, but don't rush to judgment [Opinion]
The harsh reality of being a suspect in a criminal case, especially in a case where the potential penalties include spending multiple years in prison and having to register as a sex offender for life, weighs differently on different types of people. For Matt Araiza, it weighed especially heavy.
Some citizens say to “always believe women” or “always believe accusers.” Araiza’s case is a perfect example of why such advice is erroneous. While accusers in a sexual assault case should be carefully listened to, automatically believing their stories simply because they allege they happened is never the wise thing to do. The District Attorney’s Office in Araiza’s case did its due diligence and came to the conclusion that no charges should be filed.
Many serious accusations have been made by the public, the accuser and her civil attorney against SDSU, the San Diego Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office in this case, including accusations of not taking the accuser seriously and taking too much time to investigate her accusations. The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board has commented on several aspects of these accusations as well.
Araiza’s accuser got a fair shake from the police and especially from the prosecutor’s office. She may not like the result, but the result was equitable and meets the ends of justice. Araiza will likely re-enter the NFL eventually, but he will never get his sterling reputation back all the way. A dark stain will forever remain on his name, and that is unfortunate.
Listen to all accusers — but then carefully investigate. Refusing to do the latter will continue to lead to false allegations, injustice and the ruining of lives. There are a lot of sexual assault victims in society, and these victims deserve assistance, compassion and justice. But there are also falsely accused suspects in society as well, and they deserve a fair and impartial investigation, an even playing field and justice. Thank goodness Araiza eventually got that in this particular case.
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