Marlo Greer was recently on Court TV talking about a rape case involving a defendant who was an Irish firefighter visiting Boston. The woman, who alleged that he raped her, testified that she woke up in a hotel room to the firefighter having sex with her. He denied that he did so, and his defense team argued that the fact that there was “no DNA” – in other words, no DNA match to the defendant – meant that there was not enough evidence to convict him.
Marlo asks in her video about this case for your comments and thoughts on this DNA point. Do you believe that a woman can prove she was raped if there is no DNA evidence to support her allegations?
You Don’t Need DNA to Convict Someone of Rape
Here’s the thing: DNA can be a very powerful piece of evidence that the accused had sex with the victim. But it is far from the only evidence that a jury can use to decide whether the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of raping the victim.
Keep in mind that someone who says they were a victim of rape faces several hurdles if they come forward with their allegations. These include:
- Having to relive over and over again what was an extremely traumatic experience.
- Facing attempts by the defendant to adopt a “blame the victim” strategy, arguing that there was consent when there was none.
- Being judged by people for what they may have been wearing, how they were acting, who they were with, and the extent to which they may have consumed alcohol or drugs at the time it happened.
- Facing claims that they are lying if any small part of their testimony changes over time.
In other words, there is very little incentive for someone to claim they were raped when they actually were not.
Other Evidence that Can Support a Rape Conviction
The victim’s testimony can be a powerful piece of evidence when it comes to a jury deciding whether the defendant raped the victim. Surrounding facts can also help bolster that testimony. This can include being able to show that the victim was where she said she was on a certain date or time (which can be supported with phone location evidence, for example).
Testimony from others who saw the victim and the defendant together can also provide support. The victim’s demeanor and the demeanor of other witnesses can have a strong impact on a jury. And while the defendant is never required to testify on their own behalf at a criminal trial – because the burden is on the prosecution – if the defendant does testify, what they have to say and how they say it can have a strong impact on the jury.
In this particular case, the Irish firefighter was convicted of rape, despite the lack of a DNA sample that would have definitely tied him to the victim.
Defendants were being convicted of rape long before DNA became a useful evidentiary tool. The fact that there is no DNA evidence in a rape case does not mean the defendant will walk away free. In many cases, there is other evidence that can be used to support the allegations against the defendant.
The Greer Law Group Can Help You Recover Damages for Sexual Assault
If you have been sexually assaulted, you may be able to collect compensation from those responsible for your attack. This can be the case even if your attacker was not charged or convicted of your assault. At the Greer Law Group, our experienced attorneys understand what it takes to succeed on a sexual assault damages claim. We also know that it can be very difficult to decide whether to bring this kind of lawsuit.
We are here for you to answer your questions and give you the information you need to come to your decision on whether you want to pursue a compensation claim when someone has sexually assaulted you. Contact us at 303-331-6460, or fill out our contact form, and we will schedule a free case evaluation.
