A sex offender who sued his victim for $4m had his case thrown out in a California court on Monday, a decision advocates hope will discourage perpetrators from filing lawsuits that “revictimize” survivors. “Women who come forward and report these crimes have to know … that they are not going to get sued,” said McGregor Scott, who represented Xiong. Although Her’s semen was found in Xiong, he claimed they had not had sexual intercourse and testified that Xiong wanted to have sex with him. Just minutes after a sentencing hearing in July, Xiong was served with the defamation lawsuit. “If you’re going to bring these frivolous lawsuits, you’re going to get hit in the pocketbook,” said Scott, noting that he plans to donate any recovered fees to an organization that supports rape victims.

Source: The Guardian October 03, 2016 23:25 UTC