THE VALUATION OF THE VICTIM'S WORD IN RAPE CRIMES

Abstract

The present work has the general objective of inquiring if only the victim's word is enough to provoke a conviction in cases of crimes against sexual dignity. Point out the evidence that is used in criminal proceedings, and examine the general understandings about the crime of rape. Therefore, the initial reflections deal with general questions about the crime of rape and sexual dignity, conceptualizing them and thus dealing with the legislative evolution of the crime of rape. The evidence in the criminal process and the means of evidence relevant to the conviction of the accused will also be analyzed. Furthermore, it is important to analyze the valuation of the victim's word in rape crimes, in addition to finding out whether the victim's word should be seen as the main evidence at the time of the accused's conviction. It is concluded, then, that the victim's word should be taken as the main evidence of the crime, however, it is not the only one capable of supporting the conviction of an accused, based on the fact that when there are not the minimum of elements evidence when the victim's testimony is not compatible with what was collected during the process, in such cases, the ideal is for the accused to be acquitted.