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In reply to the discussion: Hey You Patriot's Fans Out There [View all]

AZProgressive

(29,824 posts)
3. He said she said is a myth mostly
Thu Jan 1, 2026, 10:03 AM
7 hrs ago

and it privileges the he said of course. I mostly heard the phrase related to sex crimes but generally we don't have he said she said assaults or burglaries.

I Was a Sex-Crimes Prosecutor. Here’s Why ‘He Said, She Said’ Is a Myth (Time)

Americans have been told a dangerous myth. It is an old but enduring one, which gives its beneficiaries unwarranted power — and in many instances, is demonstrably false. The myth is that allegations of rape and sexual assault are often simply a matter of “he said, she said”; that when a woman accuses a man of a sexual assault and the man denies it, there is no way to discern the truth and the justice system is impotent. But so-called “he said, she said” cases can almost always reveal much more — if they are properly investigated.

Like many myths, the legend of “he said, she said” originated centuries ago. Under old English law, rape prosecutions could not be brought unless every material element of the victim’s story was corroborated by another witness or evidence. Because sexual assaults don’t usually happen in crowded pubs, this rule effectively barred many cases. Victims of any other type of crime — muggings, robberies, physical assaults — could provide the sole testimony at trial. Rape victims were uniquely excluded from the criminal justice system.

This exception was steeped in misogyny. The judges creating the law were all men; rape victims were overwhelmingly women. Women had lower status in that society, and rape claims were one of the few instances where a woman’s word might legally diminish a man’s authority. The institutionalized skepticism of female testimony was based on a medieval male fear of losing power.

The corroboration requirement lasted for hundreds of years and became law in the United States. It blocked the prosecution of most rapes. For example, a study in 1969 showed that New York City’s corroboration requirement resulted in eighteen rape convictions out of 1,085 arrests. An outcry in the 1960s and ‘70s caused many jurisdictions to reconsider their requirement, leading to some notorious debates. Arguing that New York’s requirement was necessary, famed midcentury jurist Morris Ploscowe reasoned that “ladies lie.” Nevertheless, New York abolished its requirement in 1972. Today, most jurisdictions have deleted their corroboration requirement.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sex-crimes-prosecutor-why-said-153008089.html

Of course he isn't convicted yet but his attorneys claim they didn't investigate before they filed charges against him which shows that they actually did investigate it.

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Diggs attorneys are actively trying Coldwater Tuesday #1
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He said she said is a myth mostly AZProgressive 7 hrs ago #3
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