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Should a rape "victims" name be published? Yes and no. When the victim first reports the rape, it is a private matter and the victim should remain anonymous. The investigation process should also remain private. However, once charges are brought and the "victim" officially becomes an accuser defended by the people (the state), yes, they should be named. Withholding the name and background information of an accuser from the public, can, at times, hinder the defense of the accused. The accused is innocent until proven guilty and therefore deserves every angle of defense. If withholding the victims name hurts the defense, the accuser should be named. The issue of people blaming the rape victim was a very heated topic discussed in one of my classes last year. Personally, I think (as did the majority of the class) this is more of a perception on the part of a victim rather than a reality. Do you know many people who would automatically blame a rape victim for what happened? I don’t. Not believing an accuser and blaming an accuser are two different things.
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