Unproven Allegations Debate

The cluster centers on debates about requiring proof for serious accusations like sexual misconduct before assuming guilt, emphasizing presumption of innocence, risks of false allegations, and skepticism toward unverified claims often referencing figures like Richard Stallman.

📉 Falling 0.4x Politics & Society
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20
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#1986
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Keywords

HN DFJ McCarthyism techrights.org ALLEGEDLY github.com www.vox github.io EDIT accusations accusation false allegations accused rape sexual innocent alleged proof

Sample Comments

AlexB138 Dec 16, 2016 View on HN

No, actually, it's not. You're accusing someone of something very serious that puts their livelihood at stake. You need to have proof in that situation. It's a very intense and emotional experience, but that doesn't mean everyone needs to automatically assume the alleged victim is being honest.

BurningFrog Jun 3, 2022 View on HN

You seem to completely ignore the possibility of false or exaggerated accusations?

asveikau Jul 26, 2017 View on HN

We don't know if there's an "incident like this". This is alleged by one side in a lawsuit. Hasn't been proven. I would still give the victim in this instance the benefit of the doubt.Edit: why is it all about "accusation is not the same as guilt" when a supposed anonymous woman accuses man A, but when man A accuses man B of staging the whole thing, HN believes it 100%? I apologize to fragile HN readers who see me saying we have courts to figure out these

curiousllama Sep 20, 2023 View on HN

You are correct that is a problem; it's also rather clearly not the case here.I'd encourage you to learn the details. It is equally evil to wrongly dismiss a true accusation as it is to wrongly believe a false one.https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/9/18/23878706/russell-brand...</a

alexyim Feb 24, 2010 View on HN

Just because there are accusations, doesn't mean that something is true. It's not like they have no ulterior motive for making accusations.

twobyfour Jul 4, 2017 View on HN

How about "This person was accused. Let's at least take the accusation seriously instead of dismissing it out of hand."The consequences of making a public accusation like this are generally negative for the accuser as much as or more than the person accused. Often even if the accusations result in a conviction in a court of law. Often even true accusations do not result in convictions. Sometimes even accusations of actual physical rape of an unconscious woman, accompanied by vi

maxcan Mar 11, 2015 View on HN

You must be new here. The presumption of innocence died a long time ago. Any accusations made publicly about these sorts of issues are prima facie true.

GoblinSlayer May 16, 2023 View on HN

It happens over false allegations just fine.

GoblinSlayer Jul 27, 2021 View on HN

Due to false allegations it's dangerous even when you do nothing, so logically it's more dangerous when you do anything.

teddyh Nov 22, 2021 View on HN

If “accused” is the worst you could come up with, maybe you shouldn’t spread random accusations so wildly.Anyway, regarding Richard Stallman and those accusations of “various kinds of sexual misconduct”:https://sterling-archermedes.github.io/