False accusation

A false accusation is a term used when people claim that another individual has committed an illegal or immoral act that he or she has not actually done. These untrue claims can occur in a formal setting such as a courtroom or magistrate's office; an informal setting such as an office, home, or school; or a public setting such as the media. The accusation can be made intentionally or accidentally. False accusations that damage a reputation are known as defamation of character; they are referred to as slander when made verbally and libel when made in writing. False accusations have serious consequences for both the accused and accuser. The reputations of both parties can be permanently affected, as both may incur legal and other costs, and the accuser could face legal consequences for intentionally making false claims against another person.

Background

Many instances of false accusations have been documented throughout history. It apparently was a significant problem during biblical times because the ninth of the Ten Commandments of the Bible addresses it. Depending on the translation, the commandment says that one should not bear false witness or give false testimony against a neighbor. In addition, false accusations play a key role in the establishment of Christianity; false accusations against Jesus Christ led to his crucifixion and resurrection.

Many other examples of false accusations have occurred in the centuries that followed. While some are made against famous people, private individuals and public servants have also been accused. The Salem Witch Trials, a series of trials in late seventeenth-century Massachusetts that claimed the lives of more than twenty people who were falsely accused of witchcraft, is a famous example. Another well-known incident began in 1945 near the end of World War II, when Japanese submarines torpedoed the USS Indianapolis. The ship sank in just twelve minutes; 300 of the 1,200 sailors onboard died almost immediately. The remainder ended up in the water. Drowning and shark attacks claimed many, leaving only 316 men to be recovered. It was the worst loss of life at sea recorded by the US Navy and was immortalized in several movies, including the original Jaws (1975). The ship's captain, Charles Butler McVay III, survived five days in the water but was court-martialed for failing to evade the submarine. A review of the evidence led to his exoneration in 2000 by the US government, but it was too late because McVay took his own life in 1968.

Overview

False accusations occur for a number of reasons. In some instances, the person making the accusation may legitimately be mistaken. The accused person may look like the real perpetrator of the crime, or the accuser may have been so traumatized by the incident that confusion leads to a false identification. In other cases, the accuser may be mentally unsound and convinced that the person is guilty, or in some cases, they may make up an entire incident that has not happened.

Other false accusations, however, involve a deliberate attempt by one or more people to blame someone for an act that he or she did not commit. In some cases, the alleged perpetrator is framed or blamed for an act that never happened, did not happen the way the accusers said it did, or was committed by someone else. Numerous situations exist in which a person who was innocent of an act was convicted, and in some cases, punished based on evidence falsified by someone else. Sometimes the accused is the actual guilty party, and other times it is someone else.

In other occurrences, accusers make up a false claim about someone to get that person in trouble or to avoid getting in trouble themselves. For example, a college student may decide that he or she wants to get even with a friend who slighted him or her. He or she might make it look as if the other student has committed an act of vandalism by planting evidence in the other person's dorm room and then claiming to be a witness to the vandalism.

Claims of sexual assault are sometimes associated with false accusations. While many instances are legitimate assaults that result in trauma for victims, situations exist in which alleged victims claimed abuse or attacks that never happened. Sometimes people caught in the act of cheating on a spouse or having sexual intercourse with someone that their parents disapprove of may lie and claim they were assaulted. For example, a teenage girl whose parents find out that she has been sexually active may claim that she was assaulted rather than admit she was willingly having sex.

The concept of false accusations relating to sexual assault, though reportedly rare, became even more prominent with the increased presence of the #MeToo movement, particularly following the allegations made against media mogul Harvey Weinstein beginning in late 2017. As more and more accusations of sexual assault or misconduct were made against such high-profile figures as part of the movement designed to raise awareness of the issue into early 2019, including actor Kevin Spacey, television host Matt Lauer, Democratic senator Al Franken, and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, some concerns were voiced over the potential for such a widespread movement to lead to a lack of due process and an increase in false accusations. In 2018, two men who had been accused of rape in 1991 had their convictions vacated following DNA evidence and the alleged victim having stated that her claim had been a lie reportedly meant to protect her boyfriend.

False accusations that play to racial bias and fears have plagued the United States for many years. One of the most well known examples of a false accusation related to racial bias was the case of Emmett Till. In 1955, Carolyn Donham accused the 14-year-old of whistling at her and told her husband and brother. The men kidnapped, tortured, and killed the young boy, sparking national concern and helping to move forward the Civil Rights Movement. Donham confessed later to lying about the interaction and escaped prosecution. Even in the twenty-first century, problems of false accusations that rely on racial bias still exist. In 2020, Amy Cooper encountered birdwatcher Christian Cooper. After Christian asked Amy to leash her dog in compliance with park rules, Amy called the cops. She alleged that an “African American man” was threatening her life. Video showed Amy threatening Christian before calling the cops and said with a raised voice she was being threatened. In a second call, she alleged he had tried to assault her, which the video revealed was false. Amy received swift backlash for her false accusations, including losing her job. However, the incident brought to the forefront the way race and racism can be weaponized in false accusations.

False accusations can have significant ramifications. The person who is falsely accused can face legal action as a result of the lie. The individual may be punished for something that he or she did not do and may incur legal fees and other consequences, such as loss of employment, family problems, and mental and physical health issues from trying to prove innocence. The person who makes the false accusation can also face consequences when the lie is discovered. Lies that defame the character, or damage the reputation, of another person are punishable by fines and other penalties.

In addition, the individual who makes up the lies may suffer damage to his or her own reputation. That person may also face consequences from law enforcement agencies, which may have wasted time and resources investigating false leads or a crime that did not occur. In addition, making false accusations—especially those related to sexual crimes—can make it more difficult for those who are legitimate victims of assault, as their claims may be hard to believe or be proven.

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