After 18 months, rape charges against university student dropped

The issue of consent often comes up in sexual assault cases. It is not uncommon for one party to say the sexual contact was consensual, but for the other party to say it was assault or rape. For the person claiming the contact was consensual, these kinds of accusations can quickly tarnish their reputation.

Recently, a case involving a Temple University student showed how quickly rape accusations can be raised and what the impact is for the person accused.

In this case, the now 20-year-old was accused of rape by another business student. At the time, the 20-year-old was a college football player. After the accusation was made, his attorney said his athletic scholarship was taken away, he was kicked out of the university and his reputation was severely damaged as he was branded as a rapist.

For 18 months the former university football player had to live with the accusations, maintaining he was innocent the whole time. From the beginning he said everything was consensual and that the woman was just mad because he would not enter into a serious relationship with her.

Jury selection was supposed to begin this past Monday. However, on the same day of the scheduled jury selection, the charges against the 20-year-old were dismissed.

According to a RYOT News article, the charges were dismissed after text messages sent by the woman were reviewed. These text messages supposedly shed light on her real relationship with the football player and other men.

Overall, this case really highlights the fact that some people make up false sex crime accusations. While it is certainly disturbing that anyone would even lie about something like rape, when these lies are told, it is imperative to have a criminal defense attorney to stand up for the rights of the accused.

Source: RYOT News, “Rape Charges Dropped Against Temple Football Player…After Completely Ruining Him,” Alexandra Govere, Oct. 8, 2013