All the Names If You Please

"Hello. My name's Patricia Bowman. I'm the one whoIt is unquestionably difficult for a woman to publicly
accused William Kennedy Smith of rape."make an accusation of rape with its attendant trial,
Now it can be told!noted for embarrassing and frequently degrading
Miss Bowman, her name and face shrouded by mediatestimony and cross-examination.
television, Miss Bowman likely will become aThe simple truth of the matter is that those accused
household name -- and face.of a crime, or the victims of burglaries, are protected
Withholding the names of women who makeby using their names and by reporting the details of
accusations of rape became a widely discussed issuetheir arrest or of the burglary. The same is true of
when the Smith case surfaced. Most electronic andaccusers; they are protected by using their names,
print media declared they would protect the accusernot by withholding their identities.
by not revealing her name and by not showing herIn the Smith case, perhaps it is clear now to Miss
face. The trial, and events connected with it, drewBowman that it would have been better if her name
unbridled media attention.and face were not cloaked in anonymity. While it was
The debate over the wisdom, or right, of the mediathe media who made the decision to keep her
to identify one who makes an accusation of rapeidentity secret, not Miss Bowman, one word from
began even before the case went to court. When aher could have change that.
Florida newspaper, The Globe of Boca Raton, printedMedia who opt for keeping secret the addresses of
Patricia Bowman's name the state attorney of Palmpeople visited by burglars, of johns who are arrested,
Beach charged the newspaper with violation of aor of women who publicly accuse men of rape, are
1911 state law by revealing her name; a judge thenmisguided. Their motives are good, but their
ruled the law unconstitutional. Despite anonymityjudgment is poor.
elsewhere in the nation, and throughout the world,Such media should take counsel from their own
Miss Bowman's identity had been common knowledgeefforts to maintain their constitutional freedom of the
in Florida throughout the trial.press and the hard-fought freedom of information
Those who believe it best to protect the identity ofthey demand from others.
women who make accusations of rape, presumablyCommunities in this country are alerted to crime by
to help alleviate the pain that publicity would bring asnewspapers and the electronic media. It is through
well as to encourage others to report rape, arethese media that citizens become aware of danger,
wrong. Withholding the names of such accusers isthe first step necessary to take action to protect
both bad journalism and a threat to the rights ofthe community.
everyone, not to mention unfair to the accused.If citizens are not aware that burglars find their
Few people involved in criminal cases would allow useneighborhood fair game, or if police can make arrests
of their names if the decision were up to them.with impunity because crimes are not reported, then
Newspapers frequently receive pleas from thosecitizens face an insidious danger; they are not being
accused of shoplifting, prostitution (or johns),protected.
possession of drugs, et al, to please not use theirAs one rights group reportedly pointed out recently,
names. The paper is often told: "I'll lose my job." "Ifthe stigma attached to rape victims will never
my aged mother finds out she'll have a heart attack."disappear as long as the crime of rape is treated
Newspapers also bow to pressure not to reveal thedifferently from other crimes.
addresses of people who are victims of burglaries.