There is a disturbing trend being taken by courts around the country that bans or makes certain words inadmissible in trials. Words such as RAPE, VICTIM, HOMICIDE, etc are not being acknowledged by judges because using those terms would, according to them, make the jury assume the defendant is already guilty of the crime. For instance, a woman cannot say she was "raped" in court. She has to use the words, "had intercourse". More words that are banned in courts are; crime scene, murder, terrorist, gang... If these words are used, they are removed from the testimony. According to a defense attorney, "the very words themselves assume facts not in evidence".
This is of most concern for many women that are rape victims. As it stands now, many women feel intimidated to charge their rapists with the crime and go through the whole court ordeal. These bans will make it even harder for women to present their cases and deter even more women from going to court. This of course will lead to more rapists getting away with their crimes!
If you are interested in reading more about this matter go to Taboo Trial Words: 'Drunk', 'Victim', 'Rape'
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