PRESS RELEASE
G. Lawrence DeMarco, LLM
Email: ldemarco@menandboys.net
Phone: +1-215-901-1930

 Admission by Duke False Accuser Reveals Urgent Need for Balanced Media Coverage and Legal Reforms

December 19, 2024 — In a startling development, Crystal Mangum recently confessed to fabricating her claims of rape against three Duke University student-athletes. (1)  Her accusations had targeted three student-athletes from the Duke Lacrosse team, who faced vilification from the media and university community despite the absence of credible evidence against them.

Mangum’s admission, shared during an interview from prison, exposes the far-reaching consequences of false accusations, not only on the accused, but also on societal trust in justice systems.

This confession underscores author Tom Golden’s critique of how Duke University and its “Group of 88” professors prematurely condemned the students, exemplifying society’s tendency to assume guilt in such cases. The resulting protests, media attacks, and loss of due process caused irreparable harm to the men’s reputations. (2)

Globally, the crisis of false allegations has spurred widespread outrage and action. (3) Argentina recently approved a policy that penalizes false accusations of gender violence. (4) In the United States, Alabama (5) and Iowa (6) have enacted laws increasing penalties for false reporting to law enforcement.

The epidemic of false allegations also erodes public confidence in justice, often harming innocent individuals while diverting vital resources. Media coverage of these issues remains inconsistent, and cases like Mangum’s reveal a glaring need for balanced reporting that holds accusers accountable without undermining genuine victims.

An eight-country survey revealed that globally, men experience the majority of false allegations of abuse, and women are most often the accusers. (7).

The International Council for Men and Boys (ICMB) advocates that lawmakers (a) narrow broad definitions of domestic violence to focus on physical actions or threats, and (b) require hard evidence, not mere verbal assertions, when an accusation of abuse is made in court. (8)

The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization that is working to celebrate the contributions of men to society and to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys around the world. Achieving #GenderEqualityForMen also will benefit women. https://www.menandboys.net/

Links:

1)    https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2024/12/duke-mens-lacrosse-scandal-2006-crystal-mangum-admits-fabrication-rape-18-years-later-apologizes-kat-depasquale-evans-finnerty-seligmann-brodhead-pressler-nifong

2)    https://menaregood.substack.com/p/a-false-accuser-comes-forward-and?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1350013&post_id=153086108&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=2homp5&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

3)    https://endtodv.org/pr/outrage-over-global-epidemic-of-false-allegation/

4)    https://www.saveservices.org/2024/11/timeline/

5)    https://www.alabamaag.gov/attorney-general-marshall-applauds-senates-passage-of-hb-82/#:~:text=HB%2082%20increases%20the%20penalties,it%20a%20Class%20C%20felony.

6)    https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/708.7.pdf

7) https://endtodv.org/survey-false-allegations-of-abuse-are-a-global-problem-women-most-often-the-accusers/

8) https://menandboys.net/false-allegations/