In addition, I would argue that if confidentiality were guaranteed in rape cases then more victims might be prepared to come forward and tell the police.

Many cases of rape go unreported for numerous reasons, all related to public perception.

1. Victims do not want to be judged by the public eye. When you have been humiliated and violated, the last thing you want/need is to be subject to the invasiveness of prying scrutinizing eyes - especially if the prevailing culture has an attitude, as we have seen in the OP, that the rape victim could be to blame and that the poor dumb dog was just doing what came naturally.

2. Rape victims are often seen as 'damaged filthy goods' by society, and rather than receiving sympathy they can often be on the receiving end of the publics collective cold shoulder.

3. Rape victims may feel terrified to go out their front door or invite anyone into their home, much less face up to possible repercussions from friends or family of the rapist.

So I would argue that it makes sense to make rape cases confidential to the courts, thus rendering any libel or slander illegal and prosecutable from the outset and protecting both rape victim and false accusation victim from public humiliation.