Is corroboration of a victim’s story needed for a conviction of sexual assault in Michigan?

Those who have been accused of sexual assault in Michigan may wonder what evidence can be used against them and what is needed to prove a sexual assault charge. Because of the significance of the charges, it is helpful for accused individuals to be familiar with how to defend themselves against the criminal charges they are facing.

No witnesses or physical evidence needed

According to Michigan law, it is not necessary for the alleged victim’s testimony to be corroborated for the accused individual to be convicted of a sexual assault charge.  Individuals convicted of sexual assault can face significant penalties.  This means the alleged victim doesn’t need to provide a witness and the prosecution technically doesn’t have to provide any physical evidence, although in many cases it will. All that is needed is the alleged victim’s testimony.

There are a variety of different ways to defend against criminal charges and the best criminal defense option can be unique to the situation and circumstances of the accused individual. They may wish to assert a violation of their rights, impropriety on the part of authorities or question the alleged evidence against them or facts as they have been presented.

Because corroboration of the alleged victim’s version of what happened is not required for an accused individual to be convicted of a sexual assault charge, it is important to promptly develop a strong criminal defense strategy. Trained guidance from an experienced criminal defense attorney will be helpful to build a defense.