Unreasonable doubt and Victim Blame
Prove to me that what you are saying is absolutely the truth!
I remember the three little girls who were 8, 10, and, 12, who finally told. Frankie about their mothers boyfriend raping them---and the questions from the court focused on “what did you do to try and get away….” And then came their tears---maybe it IS my fault I did not try hard enough.” There was no getting away from Frank; nor was it easy to get away from Harvey. The courage to tell is enormous; the courage to walk away from your future is heart breaking.
---the courage of telling is enormous---for the little girls they risked living on the streets of Los Angeles---For the women who walked away from Harvey and for those who could not they live under the never ending challenge of the Legal system i.e. we convict with the words “beyond a reasonable doubt”…..but in our court of laws we condemn the children and the women ( as well as men) who are victims of sexual aggression to a system that casts unreasonable doubt on their testimony or as a district attorney once told me---“I would prefer that the victim was dead---then the jury knows that something bad happened.”
I am watching trials unfold across the country where the victim is asked what they were wearing, did they say no or try to get away and in the case of Harvey Weinstein----why did they ever go to his room.
There needs to be a basic change in how we move through these cases
----we need to proceed with integrity, expertise and with a set of standards that will withstand the scrutiny of any legal system…..but
most of all we need to eliminate the victim blame and basic doubt that we as a society place on those who have been the most vulnerable of victims.
--Astrid
