In its analysis of the discredited report, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism says the failure could spread the idea that many women invent rape allegations--a concern to those who aid victims.... ...Advocates also worry that the discredited article might discourage sexual assault victims from stepping forward. "I think it's a legitimate concern and we are all really hoping that the fallout from this article does not discourage victims from speaking out," says Lisae Jordan, executive director and counsel for the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Rolling Stone editors told Columbia University investigators that their main failure was being too accommodating to the student accuser because she was described as a rape survivor. They say they were too deferential because social scientists and psychologists who support rape victims told them they need to respect victims' autonomy. But it's an argument that victims' advocates aren't buying. "Treating sexual assault survivors with respect, treating them with a sensitivity toward what happened, does not require that you ignore the truth," says Jordan.By Dick Uliano April 7, 2015 To read the full story, click here.
