University of Maryland's idiotic argument for extending the statute of limitations for groping and fondling

University of Maryland officials are throwing their support behind two state bills that would increase the statute of limitations to report certain fourth-degree sexual assault — which does not involve penetration, but includes groping or fondling — from one year to three years. See here.

This is part of a larger witch hunt on a national scale to extend statutes of limitations for sex crimes generally.  We've written much on this site about how the passage of time can destroy one's ability to defend a sex charge. For example, if a college senior is accused of groping a female classmate when he was a freshman, there is little likelihood he would be able to produce tangible or other evidence that could established an alibi.  Receipts, email messages, and even witnesses would likely have been destroyed long ago. Whatever alibi existed is usually long forgotten.

The passage of time destroys evidence, dims memories and otherwise wreaks havoc on one's ability to defend. Three years after the alleged incident, the only thing the accused male likely could say was "I didn't touch her breasts," but he probably would not be able to prove he was somewhere else, or with someone else, the day he supposedly did it. These concerns, however, are rarely ever discussed among the zealots interested in jacking up sex convictions.

To illustrate how the rights of the presumptively innocent, who too often turn out to have been falsely accused, are tossed onto a scrapheap of politically correct indifference, read the "reason" the University is backing this bill -- just don't let your head explode.  Allison Bennett, coordinator of this university's Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Program, thinks one year "is sometimes not enough time for victims to see sexual assault as a crime" for this reason: "Often students are so busy with classes and so many other activities, it could be even more helpful to have a little bit of extra time because the college lifestyle is such an incredibly fast paced thing."

No, you're not dreaming, and it wasn't a mirage -- read it again. 

What an incredibly vapid rationale to play Russian roulette with the rights of the presumptively innocent: the "victims" lead such fast-paced lives nowadays -- what with parties and sorority activities and studying for Women's Studies mid-terms -- that one year won't give them enough time to realize that it was wrong for a boy to grab her breasts.

In discussing the appropriate length of statutes of limitations, it is entirely proper to consider the experience of actual victims.  It is not proper, however, to completely ignore the rights of the presumptively innocent and the falsely accused, but that's exactly what the sexual grievance industry does on a regular basis.  The indifference to the rights of the presumptively innocent on these issues -- who almost always are male -- smacks of good old-fashioned misandry, and we would do well to call it what it is.