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Cab driver falsely accused of rape saved by his phone app

I say 'good'. Rape is very serious, so serious that false accusations need to be prosecuted just as vigorously as the real thing.

This is a problem of some note.

The line between rape and a disappointing sexual encounter seems so hazy these days.

But as can be seen from additional articles, one linked in this story, there appear to be women who are alleging it merely for attention, revenge, even financial gain.

Woman who made a string of false rape allegations is jailed - Telegraph

| National Review

The Truth About False Rape Accusations That All Men Should Know
 
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I say 'good'. Rape is very serious, so serious that false accusations need to be prosecuted just as vigorously as the real thing.

inb4 "this app violated a woman's freedom of speech".
 
This is a 2013 story and there is more to it - Astria Berwick: Woman jailed for lying to police that taxi driver had sexually assaulted her in his cab | Daily Mail Online

It should, however, be noted that "innocent until proved guilty" did not apply in this case and Americans should be thankful they can't be locked up just for an accusation. For those of you who hate America and want to become a European Socialist Utopia, this is an image of how that works.

What in that bothers you? He spent time in jail upon the filing of charges - which is EXACTLY what happens in the US. Or do you think in the US people report rape as a crime and then the alleged rapist is just allowed to wander around until some lengthy investigation goes on?

In the US - someone is arrested and there's a process during which their actual charges are made official and there's a decision made as to how to proceed. If things are on the up and up a court date is set and then the suspect is released on bail if applicable.

I say 'good'. Rape is very serious, so serious that false accusations need to be prosecuted just as vigorously as the real thing.

From the aritcle that Luther posted:

A woman who claimed a taxi driver sexually assaulted her at knifepoint in his cab has been jailed after he used a recording application on his smartphone to expose her lies.
Astria Berwick, 27, slashed herself in the face with a knife in an effort to convince police that she had been attacked and groped by Mohammed Asif.
...
Yesterday, as she started a 16-month jail term for perverting the course of justice, Mr Asif, 34, said that without the app he would now be the one in jail.

I support that outcome - so that's good. In the US I'm not sure what we do to women who stoop to this type of heinous level. We're too 'those delicate potential rape victims' mentality, I think.
 
One thing seems to be missing... she originally claimed he cut her (slashed her face) with a knife. Where was the cut?
 
What in that bothers you? He spent time in jail upon the filing of charges - which is EXACTLY what happens in the US. Or do you think in the US people report rape as a crime and then the alleged rapist is just allowed to wander around until some lengthy investigation goes on?

In the US - someone is arrested and there's a process during which their actual charges are made official and there's a decision made as to how to proceed. If things are on the up and up a court date is set and then the suspect is released on bail if applicable.



From the aritcle that Luther posted:



I support that outcome - so that's good. In the US I'm not sure what we do to women who stoop to this type of heinous level. We're too 'those delicate potential rape victims' mentality, I think.

In this country there would need to be more than a simple accusation before the guy could be held. They could detain him and question him but without some kind of evidence they can't arrest him.
 
In this country there would need to be more than a simple accusation before the guy could be held. They could detain him and question him but without some kind of evidence they can't arrest him.

The British police were in that very process of investigating the given evidence which is why they looked at the phone contents.

Why do you think we do it any different in the US?
 
One thing seems to be missing... she originally claimed he cut her (slashed her face) with a knife. Where was the cut?

Was there even any evidence of a cut on her face?
 
so cab drivers need to have cams in their cabs too for protection

glad that the truth was easy to access

True tha. His life would've been over had he not used that phone app.
 
You know what I like about this story? The article says the (non)incident happened in February this year and the liar has already been tried and sentenced to the slammer. The poor guy would probably be rotting in jail for at least a year in the U.S. before this came to trial if he couldn't raise bail money.
 
You know what I like about this story? The article says the (non)incident happened in February this year and the liar has already been tried and sentenced to the slammer. The poor guy would probably be rotting in jail for at least a year in the U.S. before this came to trial if he couldn't raise bail money.

yes, justice is suppose to be swift and in this case, it was
 
The British police were in that very process of investigating the given evidence which is why they looked at the phone contents.

Why do you think we do it any different in the US?

One of the stories says he was held for 12 hours. That's excessive and if it happened here he'd likely get a nice little compensation package from the city or county. It's the equivalent of that guy in New Mexico who was subjected to enemas, a colonoscopy and anal fingering because some cop suspected he had shoved crack up his butt.

Our criminal justice system is based on probable cause and nothing I've read in this story indicates there was any cause other than the woman's statement.
 
One of the stories says he was held for 12 hours. That's excessive and if it happened here he'd likely get a nice little compensation package from the city or county. It's the equivalent of that guy in New Mexico who was subjected to enemas, a colonoscopy and anal fingering because some cop suspected he had shoved crack up his butt.

Our criminal justice system is based on probable cause and nothing I've read in this story indicates there was any cause other than the woman's statement.

Are you kidding?

In the US you can be held for DAYS before official charges are required to be filed. 48 and 72 are two common hour brackets for being held without charges officially filed against you and without a warrant.

In the US the police cannot file charges - only a prosecutor. There is due process and that takes time.

https://courts.arkansas.gov/rules-and-administrative-orders/rules-of-criminal-procedure

In my state charges must be filed within 48 hours unless under special, mitigating circumstances.

.... You're upset over nothing. In fact, I dare say they handled his situation rather quickly. 12 hours and he was found free to go.

In fact - in the US we have horrific and egregious incidences such as the UVA rape debacle. A magazine slandered a group of young, innocent men and destroyed their lives, publishing falsehoods to say the least. . . . So if you think we're all that a bag of chips, think again. In the US men seem far more likely to be destroyed EVEN IF they are innocent of all allegations.
 
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Glad he had the app running and was able to prove he didn't do it.

And I'm even more glad that she's doing prison time for the false accusation. That's exactly what should happen when you falsely accuse someone of a serious crime.
 
so cab drivers need to have cams in their cabs too for protection

glad that the truth was easy to access
This is what society has devolved into in Europe.
 
What in that bothers you? He spent time in jail upon the filing of charges - which is EXACTLY what happens in the US. Or do you think in the US people report rape as a crime and then the alleged rapist is just allowed to wander around until some lengthy investigation goes on?

Yes. That is what should happens because that is what happens during a murder investigation. The suspected murderer is allowed to walk around while a lengthy investigation goes on. Once they have enought evidence... THEN they arrest the suspect. Why do you have a double standard against accused rapists especially when it is well known that perhaps half of all rape claims, perhaps more, are false allegations that can and do ruin people's lives... and not just the man... his family too. Why are you OK with this?
 
Yes. That is what should happens because that is what happens during a murder investigation. The suspected murderer is allowed to walk around while a lengthy investigation goes on. Once they have enought evidence... THEN they arrest the suspect. Why do you have a double standard against accused rapists especially when it is well known that perhaps half of all rape claims, perhaps more, are false allegations that can and do ruin people's lives... and not just the man... his family too. Why are you OK with this?


It MIGHT happen that way depending on the situation and circumstances.

Here are a few different ways in which our system works - THESE ARE ALL APPROPRIATE depending on the specific circumstances:

1) If someone came up to the police in New York City and said 'that man over there just tried to kill me' do you think they'd let that guy walk around for two seconds before taking him into custody? Of course not. In this type of situation the police are more than likely to take the suspect into custody - immediately. While in custody he will then be initially examined / question / evidence collected as necessary to determine if he can be CHARGED.

My state has 48 hours in which to CHARGE someone AFTER they've been taken into custody.

OR:

2) If someone is accused of having JUST committed a heinous crime, the police might stop the person and question them where they stand. The classic 'questioning the witnesses and other people in the vicinity about this reported incident'. Now IF the police find there's some sort of concern or validity to the claims, then they will take the person into custody.

BOTH 1 and 2 depend on factors such as PUBLIC THREAT and VALIDITY OF THE ACCUSATION. If someone's carrying around a bloody knife, for example, or 5 seconds from boarding an airplane to thus escape an alleged crime are two examples in which the situation might warrant detainment while being investigated further.

AND THERE'S:

3) When the police receive a report that someone has possibly committed a heinous crime and they DON'T arrest them immediately, this is because there isn't evidence enough that the person is a threat. OR they're not too sure that this person is an actual suspect. Such as if a body is discovered and someone says 'well John did it' - they'll have to do a bit more investigation before being able to take John into custody.

---

#1 is the murder-example equivalent of the situation that happened. She claimed 'that man over there just raped me' and they decided that given the situation they were going to take him into the station and look into things while he was there.


What's with everyone? Yes - in the US you can IMMEDIATELY be taken into custody and detained WHILE it's then investigated! I guess a lot of people just have ZERO experience with the way the law actually works in these various situations. So this notion that in the UK your rights are worthless and *chest thump* we're not that barbaric here . . . well obviously that's just bull****.
 
This is what society has devolved into in Europe.

And in America.

I helped my friend out with his cab business for a few weeks ( hernia surgery ) back around 2001. His wife and I drove his cab while he was recovering. She drove days, and I drove nights.

I never knew how bad the oceanfront was at night until then. After the 3rd night, although illegal........... I kept a gun under the center console.
 
This is a 2013 story and there is more to it - Astria Berwick: Woman jailed for lying to police that taxi driver had sexually assaulted her in his cab | Daily Mail Online

It should, however, be noted that "innocent until proved guilty" did not apply in this case and Americans should be thankful they can't be locked up just for an accusation. For those of you who hate America and want to become a European Socialist Utopia, this is an image of how that works.

An excellent point, but to keep things in perspective it should be mentioned that the only exception to that good rule is when "terrorism" is invoked by the government.

If the government accuses one of being a terrorist (not a rapist), indefinite detention can be brought. Habeas Corpus was effectively nullified under Obama's watch, by our illustrious elected representatives in Congress.
 
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