About 30 years ago my cousin was sexually assualted by her brother in law...

[SummerSnow]

She said the incidents happened 3 times, once as a teen and the other two occasions as an adult. She was afraid to tell cause she thought her sister wouldn't believe her and would shun her. She went to her father and older brother and told them what happened. They turned against her and all they wanted to know if she told anyone, to keep her mouth shut and to make sure her sister never knows about it She was encouraged to tell her sister by a family member. Her father and brother said they would 'talk' to him but I don't know if they did. From what I heard they did not. After the last incident, she told her then-husband and he confronted the predator. There were no words and he never apologized. After that, the predator snubbed her at a get-together and later, her husband was entertaining him at their home.

[mythology]

1. This is why victims don't come forward

This is why we have to believe victims.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

2. All in all its just another brick in the wall.

[Lars39]

3. I hope she divorced her husband.

[SummerSnow]

4. They are divorced now. If your husband can entertain someone who sexually assaults you

he doesn't give a damn about you.

[blueinredohio]

7. I was going to say fanned if my husband would have him in my house

because if he did they both would be gone.

[FakeNoose]

5. When something like this happens in a family, people don't know what to do

The poor victim is helpless and her needs are ignored. Everyone inside the family is embarrassed, or angry, or scared. Women/girls who are sexually assaulted need to be counselled by a rape-crisis expert whose job is to listen and help the victim.

Rape victims should always be encouraged to seek help at a rape crisis center, even if it actually happened many years ago. I'm not talking about legal help, although they might do that too. The rape crisis center focuses on the victims (almost always women) and keeping them safe, and helping them to recover.

[Johnny2X2X]

6. tell your story

I've always been someone that for one reason or another women have felt they could confide in. Maybe it's my pudgy cheeks, I don't know, but I've heard too many assault stories to count. Keep telling your stories, everyone! Each one matters, each one deserves to be heard.

Sexual assault of women has been ingrained in our culture for too long, this needs to stop. Your stories are helping. Everyone has been effected by sexual assault and everyone has someone they love that has been a victim, literally no one's inner circle has been spared. I realize for some it's too painful to come forward and that's fine, you are a survivor and are courageous too, but those who have been able to come forward, you are making a difference.

And I continue to hold that the reason why this has been a lightning rod for Republicans is that most of them have something in their past that they've done that they also (like Kavanaugh) are appalled at the thought of potentially being held accountable for.

I went to a major university in the 90s, I wasn't in a frat, but I knew frats and I knew their culture. Sexual assault was rampant, and was rarely reported. it was probably worse in the 80s. These GOP leaders have skeletons in their closets, almost all of them. That's why they're drawing the line at Kavanaugh, they don't want to be next.