Re:Sweden reopens Assange rape investigation, to seek extrad...
by learc83 on Monday May 13, 2019 @10:00AM
(#19899299)
It's not a thing in US law either (at least in the states I'm aware of). "Do you want to press charges" is just a colloquialism that means "do you want the prosecutor to press charges, and will you cooperate as a witness."
In less serious cases the victim's wishes are taken into account. However, the prosecutor is the one who charges the accused, and consent or cooperation from the victim isn't needed. It is hard to convict in cases where an uncooperative victim is the only witness, but it happens in domestic abuse cases all the time.
In many jurisdictions prosecutors don't need the permission, nor cooperation, of the victims to bring a case to court. This is especially important in crimes of sexual violence because the fear of retribution causes many victims not to report; and because some victims will be being coercively controlled by their partners.