THE VALUATION OF THE VICTIM'S WORD AS THE ONLY MEANS OF PROOF IN CRIMES OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Abstract

We analyze the role of the Judiciary in valuing the victim's word as the predominant evidence in crimes of sexual violence against women, focusing on the challenge of balancing the protection of sexual dignity and the constitutional guarantees of the defendant. We investigate the central problem of how to confer credibility to the victim's report without violating the principle of the presumption of innocence and due process of law. To this end, we use a methodology of bibliographic and documentary research, with doctrinal and jurisprudential analysis on the subject. The results demonstrate that, although the victim's word has special evidentiary value due to the clandestine nature of these offenses, it must not be accepted uncritically or in isolation. We identify that legal certainty depends on the convergence of the testimony with other circumstantial elements and the recognition of the fallibility of human memory. We conclude that the victim's word is fundamental to breaking the cycle of impunity, but its legal validity is conditioned on a rigorous filter of coherence and verisimilitude, ensuring a judgment based on evidentiary rationality and respect for the adversarial system.