Rachel Brougham: We need to respect the courage of victims
Publicity and having their name in news headlines is not something rape victims look forward to. In fact, it’s why many never tell their story.
This column isn’t about any particular case. However, when recent accusations came out about a certain former Northern Michigan lawmaker sexually assaulting a family member for years, many asked why the victim waited so long to tell her story.
More: Former Rep. Chatfield under investigation for alleged sexual assault of a minor
"Why is she reporting it now?"
"Her story doesn’t make sense to me."
"She’s just looking for attention."
It’s estimated that just 33 percent of all rapes are reported, according to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network (RAINN). In addiction, one out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime, the organization notes, and women ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims.
If you’re not a victim of rape or sexual abuse, there’s a good chance someone you love is — whether you know it or not. So why are we, as a society, still consistently casting doubt on victims when they come forward with their stories?
Victims don’t come forward for a number of reasons.
Sometimes they decide to keep what happened to them a secret because they don’t want to face their rapist in court.
Sometimes they blame themselves and whatever circumstances they were in when they were raped.
Sometimes they fear reporting the crime will impact their career.
Sometimes they are afraid people won’t believe their story.
Remember when Anita Hill accused Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment and she was dubbed “a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty?” Victims don’t report crimes for attention — in fact, it’s the last thing they want.
In our country’s justice system, a defendant is innocent until proven guilty, yet accusers are consistently questioned about their motive for coming forward, why they waited so long and are often told they are just seeking attention.
The truth is, countless women suffer in silence for a variety of legitimate reasons. And when they do come forward, the least we can do is respect their courage for telling their stories.
— Rachel Brougham is the former assistant editor of the Petoskey News-Review. You can email her at racheldbrougham@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Rachel Brougham: We need to respect the courage of victims
