India considers a registry for false accusers.

The Delhi (India) High Court recently urged the government to act swiftly on a proposal to create a database of false rape complaints. While this is a novel and, for many, controversial idea, it touches on a reality that too often goes ignored: false allegations do happen, and the consequences can be devastating.

Sexual assault is a deeply serious crime, and so are false accusations of it. The thread of “then I’ll scream ‘rape'” is real. There is an unfortunate tendency to avoid this conversation altogether out of fear that it will undermine the experiences of real victims. But those who have been wrongly accused or coerced into plea deals under the threat of a long prison sentence know just how high the cost can be. We hear from individuals all the time who took pleas not because they were guilty, but because the system left them no real choice. Faced with the possibility of a decades-long sentence, many accept a deal in order to salvage what little is left of their lives. These people now live under the weight of registration, stigma, housing and employment barriers, and a lifetime of shame—not because of what they did, but because of what they were accused of.

There are also cases where the accusation itself was motivated by revenge, leverage in custody battles, or retaliation after a relationship ended. And while no one is claiming these cases represent the majority, they are not as rare as some would suggest. Even some law enforcement officials and judges have acknowledged patterns of misuse in certain situations.

The idea of a registry for false allegations may raise legitimate concerns about a potential chilling effect on real victims. But at its core, it reflects growing recognition that the presumption of guilt is increasingly replacing the presumption of innocence, especially in sex-related cases. When people enter adult chat rooms or adult dating apps and get caught in a sting, the presumption is they were there to troll for children. Often that’s not the case.

Here in the U.S., we could stand to have a similar conversation. How do we protect true victims and ensure that innocent people aren’t collateral damage in a system that often prioritizes convictions over truth? I’m pretty sure there are a number of politicians currently in office who will agree that the allegations of sexual assaults against them were fabricated, so why not create laws to protect victims (such as themselves) from these false allegations?

By no means does FAC intend to diminish the impact on actual victims. The Acknowledging that some people are wrongly accused is not a threat to victims’ rights. It’s a necessary part of building a system that is fair and just for everyone.