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Potential issues with alcohol and sexual assault claims 

On Behalf of | Sep 2, 2022 | Criminal Defense

You may not be surprised to find out that sexual encounters and alcohol are closely linked. This is also true of sexual assault claims. One study discovered that these claims were made more often after people had been consuming alcohol or in situations where that was common. For instance, when looking at sexual assault claims on college campuses, the study discovered that roughly 50% involved alcohol use by one person or by both.

This can create a lot of potential issues if you’re facing these types of accusations. You need to know how to face them.

Does anyone remember the event?

One of the biggest issues that you may run into is simply that you and the other individual do not have a clear memory of the events that took place. You may have absolutely no memory of doing anything wrong or doing anything that wasn’t consensual. The story that the other person tells may sound very different than your recollections of the night. 

But does it sound different simply because you can’t recall what happened? Or is it the other party who has an inaccurate memory of what took place? Maybe they’ve confused some events or forgotten others entirely. Perhaps they gave you consent and then forgot about the conversation, for instance. They didn’t do this intentionally, but you can see how alcohol use can drastically change their perception of what occurred.

Even if there are witnesses, you may not be sure that their memories are trustworthy. If this type of confusion leads to criminal accusations and legal charges, then be sure you know what legal defense options you have. 

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