This thread, and the one linked inside it, are so important to understand what survivors still face in our justice system. I can't stress enough how incredibly rare my case against Larry was, in its handling, time frame and outcome.
We had a sentencing hearing on less time than I expected to wait just to get possible charges, IF we were one of the statistical anamolies whose cases even got charged - and if the local prosecutor had had their way, there would have been no charges even after everything I did.
There's this perception, after everyone saw the sentencing hearing, that there's been a big shift now after our case. NOW survivors can speak up, NOW action will be taken. NOW post-Nassar and post "MeToo" we've made changes on our justice system.

Not true.
What we've really seen is :

1. How broken the system is. Five law enforcement offices were involved in botched investigations and outright coverup before ONE did the right thing. The ratio in my case is 5 to 1 in favor of poor or corrupt LEOs.

2. That it CAN be done right.
We know it can be done right because you can see the work of Lt. Munford and AAG @AngiePovilaitis literally on display for the world.

You can contrast their work with... Almost every other case survivors report.

The differences are staggering.
The fact that they are an anomaly in our justice system is a loud testament to how broken our system is.

And that doesn't even begin to discuss the role judges and bad legislation play, which deeply compounds these realities even further.

It's so important to understand this.
Frequently I hear leaders say things like, "if it was true they'd have reported..." "If it was true the police or prosecutor would have charged the case". "We can't do anything until there's a jury verdict."
This mindset utterly fails to grasp that our justice system, statistically, won't give the right answer. There won't be charges, or the charges will be plead down WAY below the actual conduct and evidence. It will take years to get to trial, and it's a wild card there too.
In terms of actual change in our legal processes, I've seen almost none.

We're not going to stop pushing, but we've got to be honest about what is really going on, and recognize what survivors go through, so we can support them well.

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More from @R_Denhollander

30 Dec 21
This is a critical step in the fight for justice and cultural change around the issue of sexual assault.

amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/29…
What was on display in this trial was the rebuttal, yet again, of the most common rape myths that cripple our societal response to abuse:

1. The idea that memories of abuse are easy to implant and frequently inaccurate or manufactured.
2. The oft-repeated trope that survivors come forward because they are motivated by money and fame.

3. An in - depth portrayal of how grooming and trafficking really happens, and why so many survivors don't "just fight back." This is a critical reality we need to understand.
Read 5 tweets
9 Dec 21
Josh Duggar has been found guilty on two counts of downloading and possessing CSAM. So much grief for the survivors, and for everyone caught in the cross hairs. Perhaps most disturbing however is how the patterns noted in this earlier post, played out...

facebook.com/10004719348381…
Despite clear evidence, there was no grief at what was, but rather a continual effort to thwart justice and deny. From a family member who changed his testimony on the stand, to a father who "couldn't remember" the abuse of his own four daughters, to a wife who held his hand...
The focus continued to be the living out of the same twisted theology that led us here.

The situation for everyone is devastating, but acting as though this isn't serious only furthers the devastation.

What Anna needs is someone to validate how evil this is, and grieve with her
Read 9 tweets
27 Nov 21
Ok first, what I said was "that the kids can decorate with their own ornaments" NOT "all by themselves". We have 4 kids, it can't be a TINY tree. I never envisioned a tree the kids could put the star on themselves and that's not what I said!

Second:
It REALLY didn't look that big at the farm 😜 so this kinda was an accident.

Third: The smaller trees were SO Bad. Seriously so bad. This looked so good in comparison. And see point two.
Fourth: we have three floors in our house. There IS room for this tree even if I did make a mistake. There just... Isn't room THERE.

Fifth: It's Christmas and it only happens once and the kids love it and his complaining will squash their joy in cutting their own tree. So stop😝
Read 7 tweets
25 Nov 21
I am deeply thankful for the guilty verdict in the slaying of Ahmaud Arbery, but in this gratefulness, it's so critical to remember a few things:
1. Remember how close we came to no trial at all due to corrupt systems and authority figures. Justice was terrifyingly slow and it took far too much suffering and effort from Ahmaud's family, press, and other law enforcement, to get this. That is a terrifying reality.
2. Getting some measure of justice is often the exception, not the rule. This result was good. This does NOT mean the systems are changing/will continue to change, without constant effort and vigilance. Don't stop paying attention - let this spur you to pay MORE attention.
Read 11 tweets
22 Nov 21
4 yrs ago today I was sitting in court hearing Larry plead guilty to possession of CSAM. The prosecutor read "how much is a little girl worth?" from my letter to the judge, asking for the maximum penalty. Judge Neff gave it. It was the best possible result, and yet...
The little girls in that material still live with it. None were in the courtroom that day to know that anyone even fought for them. I was allowed to write a letter speaking to the sentence because of my role in the assault cases, but I think about them nearly every day.
It was an incredible privilege to speak in any way on their behalf, but even in the best of results, the damage and grief is still there.

The last two weeks have been extra raw for me and I couldn't figure out why until FB reminded me of the date. The body keeps the score.
Read 9 tweets
6 Nov 21
I am disappointed and grieved to say that this is not what survivors and advocates actually called for and not what LU needs. I hope that this is the result of a lack of understanding on the part of LU and that it will be rectified quickly.

*thread*

m.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/nov/…
While a Title IX review is not a bad step, most of the allegations and concerns do not relate to technical Title IX policy violations (some do, but not most).

The actual concerns and allegations primarily center around allegations of:
1. A culture that silences survivors and minimizes abuse.

2. Poor responses by faculty and leadership.

3. Resistance to reform by leadership.

4. Lack of good communication on abuse related issues.

5.Lack of awareness and priorization of these issues by leadership.
Read 13 tweets

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