ABSTRACT
In the Netherlands, a sole confession by a suspect is never enough for a conviction; the court needs at least two pieces of legal evidence or one when it concerns a deposition by a functionary of the law (e.g., a policeman who has caught the suspect in the act) who is bound by his oath of office. Rape cases are notoriously difficult to prove, because they usually must be judged on the basis of two conflicting statements: one of the alleged victim and another of the alleged perpetrator. The most common plea of the suspect is that he admits to having had sex with the woman but denies that it happened against her will. One of the tasks of judges in the courtroom is to find out the truth about what really happened.
