Here we go again. A report of rape and sexual assault where everyone, including NFL reporters, suddenly becomes an expert on how victims should react after a rape. Unless you’ve shut yourself off from all news outlets, you are well aware of the federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District of Miami on September 10 alleging the New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown raped and sexually assaulted his former college classmate and personal trainer.
I have no idea if these crimes occurred, and I’m going to reserve my judgment until further information is released. These are serious allegations and should be investigated thoroughly without prejudice or bias… at least that’s how I thought this process worked.
Unfortunately, I made the poor decision of scrolling through Twitter comments on this subject and I was not surprised to see the amount of journalists and other public figures immediately discrediting the complainant’s suit.
Here is a quick glimpse of what made me take a double dose of my blood pressure meds this morning (I removed their twitter handles because they don’t deserve any more exposure):
“If you’re raped the first you should do is call the police and have a rape kit done”
“If someone raped me in May I would have called the police in May, not issue a civil suit in September, when football season arrived”
“…if they ‘sexually assaulted’ me I’m not going back to work with them”
“Nobody would get raped and then stay in contact with the person”
“No victim of rape would wait this long to report it, how convenient”
Is there a motive to create a false allegation when there are millions of dollars involved? Yes.
However, does the presence of money and fame make the accused less likely to be guilty? Hell, no.
I understand the skepticism, especially coming from those who have never been a part of these investigations or victimized themselves. It’s difficult for the layperson to comprehend why a victim of sexual assault does not report it immediately, or even remains in the relationship where it occurred. One of the benefits of the #MeToo movement was broadcasting this very topic and the multiple reasons that victims delay reporting or never come forward. The bystander effect, the fear of being disbelieved or blamed, embarrassment and shame or the all too common “nothing is going to happen anyway” perception all combine to create the lack of reporting these issues.
What’s more infuriating is regardless if the reports are substantiated or not, the reaction by those who have discredited the victim only perpetuates the fear of other victims of these types of crimes. Think about the incredible courage it takes to tell a loved one that you’ve been sexually assaulted, sharing that story with the media and in open court, reliving that experience repeatedly. Now, add to that the notion that if the report is made against a person of high financial status, there will be immediate doubt and skepticism to your allegations.
In case you missed my point earlier, I don’t know if the allegations are true or not and neither do you. Regardless of the outcome of this case, my message to you is to withhold judgment and be aware that your commentary may very well be the one reason that a victim exists somewhere – and we’ll never know about it.
David Thompson, CFI, is the President of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc. (WZ). He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of WZ, as well as strategic planning and the evolution of interview and interrogation content. David has also served as the Director of Investigations giving him the opportunity to manage a variety of cases while conducting interviews and consulting on investigations ranging from theft and fraud to sexual harassment and homicide. As a speaker for WZ, David has created customized training programs, presented at seminars, hosted a variety of webinars as well as conducted live broadcasts of training.
September 18, 2019, 2:19 pm
Yes, just yes to all of it! Every situation is different and our industry out of all the industries should be seekers of the truth. Thank you for your reasonable, rational response article!!
September 18, 2019, 3:50 pm
Dave, thank you for sharing your perspective! Please know I will be passing it on to my family, friends, and colleagues. All my best, Rob
September 23, 2019, 1:18 pm
Well said, Dave. Lay persons should exercise less judging behaviors and journalists should exercise more judgment. Welcome to our era of “unfounded certainty.”
September 23, 2019, 1:27 pm
Well said Dave! NONE of us know the truth, except for those directly involved. People are quick to judge, one way or the other, and we need to reserve that judgement. Thanks for posting!
September 24, 2019, 2:02 pm
A little over a year ago there was great uproar about a national uproar when an allegation of sexual assault was made against a SCOTUS nominee. People were quick to make judgement there too. I agree Dave, we really should be learning about our hypocrisy.