How come sexual assault is one of hardest crime to prosecute vs every other crime?
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Generally, it’s the burden of proof. I live in the UK, in the UK the criminal burden of proof is reasonable doubt. So if a reasonable person could doubt the assault occurred when considering the evidence, then they need to acquit.
Generally, by the nature of the crime, there’s often little evidence. Usually these things happen in private, and often involve substance use (usually alcohol). Its very difficult to prove something beyond doubt when it’s one person’s word against that of another.
Looking at rape specifically, you’d need to prove that penetrative sex occurred, and that there was no consentat that time. That two things that can be difficult to prove, because often there’s no actual evidence one way or another. Mix in substance use and time between the event and the case, and there’s plenty of room for doubt.
But it’s also important to remember that not guilty isn’t the same as innocent; rarely does a case prove someone innocent. (But this is also why false allegations can be so damaging)
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