Victims share on Twitter how they were dismissed when talking about sexual assault
The reason why most sexual assault survivors don’t come forward to talk about the abuse they have faced is because more often than not their concerns are brushed aside and worse, considered to be complete lies. So Harnidh Kaur, a Mumbai-based poet and college student, took to Twitter to ask people to share their experiences of being dismissed after revealing that they were sexually assaulted.
Retweet this if someone has ever slighted your experience and trauma of sexual abuse. Quote this with experience if ur comfortable doing so.
— Peglet (@PedestrianPoet) October 13, 2016
Soon hundreds of people started tweeting their stories of how rape culture shames victims into silence instead of holding the perpetrators accountable.
"Girls like you complain too much. Just don't do anything to attract attention" when I was terrified of a stalker, age 19 https://t.co/43G7cFEoDY
— Aditi Mallya (@Bacardidevi) October 13, 2016
My own father, who I still love very much, who is now dead, asked if I had done something to encourage my stalker to stalk me. I was 14. https://t.co/a5r9vUmJ7X
— Reema (@ScrollsNInk) October 14, 2016
Personal fav - "Being molested isn't as bad as rape no. Anyway you still have an active love life" https://t.co/prQ96gkgcR
— N (@tinybleudancer) October 14, 2016
Blocked out an assault by a friend and didn't tell anyone about it. When I finally did open up, ex said I was using it as a distraction tool https://t.co/E0W2tq8Wp3
— Kruthika Bangera (@OnePintDown) October 14, 2016
Some survivors also shared their stories anonymously via direct messages to Kaur.
"My brother raped me when I was 16. I tie him a Rakhi every year." Anon 11. https://t.co/fYUSuZc4JF
— Peglet (@PedestrianPoet) October 14, 2016
"I had dengue and an old friend came over. She made me have sleeping pills, reached into my shorts. Said "Give me an excuse."" Anon 19. https://t.co/fYUSuZc4JF
— Peglet (@PedestrianPoet) October 14, 2016
Even men came forward to dispel the myth that only women can be victims.
I was sexually abused when I was 12. When I told my friend.
— Parth Gandhi گاندھی (@iPGandhi) October 14, 2016
Friend: it happens. You can start your own satyamev Jayete TV show now. https://t.co/sm3cf9q2eU
The reason why this question resonated with so many people couldn't be clearer:
These SHOULD make you uncomfortable as you read them. You need to know that diminishing is real, is scary, and it happens to EVERYONE. https://t.co/fYUSuZc4JF
— Peglet (@PedestrianPoet) October 13, 2016
