...and I think it's pretty disgusting that he tried to minimize the importance of properly dealing with transgressions simply because they occurred a long time ago. Time doesn't necessarily heal the hurt someone might feel from having been sexually abused/assaulted. In fact, burying the feelings associated with such an experience for many years probably magnifies the hurt, actually.

Now, if anyone is falsely accusing someone of sexual assault many years ago for personal gain, then they are a disgusting person, too. The nature of such a crime makes the public want to immediately empathize with the victim, long before there are any legal proceedings to verify the claims. I'm not saying that is wrong, and I think the vast majority of people opening up about past experiences are telling the truth...but my point is that because of the nature of this type of crime, once someone is accused, it's almost impossible for that person to ever truly repair their reputation, even if they are innocent. Any person that intentionally falsely accuses someone else of sexual assault should face severe penalties, and I would hope that the backlash from the general public would be as harsh as it is towards those committing the crimes.