Rep. wants more proof in sexual assault cases

In recent years, several high profile sexual assaults cases - reaching from the Catholic archdiocese of Boston to Bill Cosby in California - have prompted some lawmakers to support lifting some of the barriers to sexual assault prosecutions.

New Hampshire Rep. William Marsh thinks the courts have gone too far in that direction, however. He is sponsoring a 2017 bill that would require corroborating evidence to back up a survivor's testimony in a sexual assault case if the defendant has no prior convictions for sexual assault.

Marsh told the Concord Monitor that the current laws make it too easy to falsely accuse someone of sexual assault. He suggested that this makes counselors and other people reluctant to work with children.

"We want to set a little higher bar, to make sure people who aren’t guilty don’t get behind bars," he said. 

Bill opponents point out that criminal law does not require corroboration for victim testimony in other cases. They argue that changing the law will perpetuate the idea that false accusations are common in sexual assault cases. It may also make victims less likely to come forward.

"This is going to be the coalition’s No. 1 priority this legislative session, to defeat this bill," said Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public policy for the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. 

Do you think New Hampshire should require sexual assault survivors to corroborate their testimony? Let us know in the comments.