Rape is a horrific crime. It is important that the stories of victims are not dismissed. Unfortunately, false accusations tend to sow doubt among the legitimate complaints of rape. The average estimate is that two percent of all rape allegations are false. However, when it comes to reported allegations, authorities determine 8-10% of all rape claims to be unfounded. That means that at least six percent of those who come forward with a legitimate rape claim are not believed by the authorities in charge of their case. The fact that many false accusations do make it through the system suggests that there are even more victims with legitimate complaints who are not believed. False accusations make things worse both for the accused and the true victims of these terrible crimes.