By naming his father on YouTube as her rapist, a woman takes possession of the right to tell his story

What are the ethics of the release of her rapist? It is a matter for debate around the internet after a "guru beauty New Orleans" has posted a video on YouTube, saying that her father raped her and abused her several times since the age of four years to 13 years. She called him and his wife, and said he physically abused his brother and his mother for years. His father was never tried for raping her, let alone convicted. He denies the allegations. His mother was granted a divorce from him in 2000 on the basis of a "cruel and inhuman treatment as usual."

She is the first woman to name and shame the person assaulted, she said. Savannah Dietrich, a 17 year old from Kentucky, was sexually assaulted by two classmates while she was unconscious, the children took pictures and distributed around the school. Dietrich has filed charges, and the boys decided to make a plea bargain that gave them a relatively light sentence. Dietrich then ignored the gag on the case and the name of the guy tweeted. He faces potential jail for it.

Other women named their rapists on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other places. Each time the problem arises: is it do justice? Defendants are not innocent until proven guilty?

in a U.S. court of law, yes - but as we live under the rule of law, we do not live in the yard. Outside the room, people are entitled to their own stories about their own lives. Concerns the burden of proof and are sometimes legitimate self-defense, but the same concerns that seem to pop up when someone says, "My super came into my apartment and stole my stereo" or "caregiver my grandmother was stealing money from her purse." No warning to stop personal judgment or not to act, to suggest that the accuser is lying or he should probably keep his mouth closed until a jury of his peers convicted alleged criminal

accused is essential, as well as protecting the falsely accused and wrongly convicted. To bear the burden of proving the guilt of the charge is a force of the American legal system. However, the video blogger on YouTube, and not in a courtroom. His father did not face restrictions on their liberty by the State. It is not anonymous posting by naming his alleged assailant, she uses her full name and join their accusations to his face and reputation. Offer that can not or should not tell your own story - which suggests that it must return to the court history before we can accept your word of your own truth - effectively gags and many other women. It commits our agency. It is our own story in the hands of someone who supposedly knows better.

course, anyone who tells a story tells the truth. And the threat of suspects name and shame is that people sometimes lie. While women do not lie about rape more people lie about being victims of other crimes - and, in fact, rape is a crime less likely to be reported to the police - there is a concern justified the small number of dishonest people. False accusations can ruin your life, which is part of why our legal system requires significant research and "innocent until proven guilty" standard for criminal cases. Apart from the criminal justice system in the United States States, there are legal safeguards, such as defamation and libel laws that give someone who is unfairly maligned action before a civil court., and the United States and most other countries, the truth is a defense against libel - if your father was to continue to have defamed, would have to prove that their allegations are false

I have no idea if the story is true video blogger, and the point of this column is not to determine whether their claims are true or false. Point to say that about our experiences of sexual assault requires substantial value and that there are important legal safeguards for the small number of cases where the allegations are false.
Rape is still undervalued and stigmatized shamefully. Tell our own story, without anyone else approval or accession is what makes the first sexual assault shade. Continue to tell the truth is what keeps the lights on.