NCJ Number
99299
Date Published
1985
Length
39 pages
Annotation
This transcript of a 1985 hearing before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice encompasses testimony pertinent to legislation that will encourage rape victims, particularly juvenile victims, to report rape while ensuring that false allegations are detected.
Abstract
The concern with false allegations was fostered by a recent case that received nationwide publicity. Cathleen Crowell Webb recanted her allegation of rape against Gary Dotson, an allegation that led to his being convicted and incarcerated. A law professor from the Georgetown University Law Center sets the stage for subsequent testimony by discussing the rules of law as they relate to recantation of evidence, the courts' approach on this subject, the legal theories that underlie this area of the law, and the basis for having recanted testimony evaluated by the original trial judge. Testimony by Cathleen Crowell Webb and her attorney focuses on her motive for bringing the false allegation and her reasons for the recantation some 6 years later. She focuses on her concoction of the rape allegation as a cover story in the event she should become pregnant from earlier consensual premarital intercourse. She believes juvenile females are prone to use false allegations of rape to relieve guilt about consensual premarital sex. A witness from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations testifies on his experience and knowledge about false rape allegations. He indicates there are certain common factors that should raise investigators' suspicion that an allegation is false. A representative of the American Psychological Association testifies on the mental health consequences of rape, the factors that influence recovery from rape trauma, and the circumstances under which rape victims are most likely to participate in the criminal justice process.