When does a victim get their justice?
Mr. Fisher faced his abuser in a court of law. He told his story to the jury. He faced cross-examination. I witnessed every painful moment. And he was found credible. By a jury. He then faced Penn State's appointed mediators regarding settlement and, again, was found credible. (not all were - I believe 6(?) were found not credible and did not receive a settlement).
Mr. Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts related to child sexual abuse. Mr. Sandusky has the right to appeal the decision - and has an appeal currently in the courts.
Mr. Fisher had his day in court and was found credible. In the legal system that our country was founded on. But that's not good enough for some of you. Still you want to call him a liar. Why? Because his story changed as he began revealing what happened to him as a child?
I know when I told, I only told about the abuse up until the point that an adult (my parents) reacted. And then I shut down. Telling is one of the hardest things and one of the reasons most vicitms never do. Attend a training course on how to respond when a victim begins telling their story and you will find experts are trained to not react, to remain calm, to show compassion. My mother's first words were "Oh my God, this is all my fault!" and she collapsed to the floor on her knees crying - my father's face turned red and he screamed "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch." I hadn't even scratched the surface of what he had done but at that moment, I stopped talking. It was only later that I was able to say more fully what had occurred, but it took several years for the full truth to come out.
We feel complicit in our abuse. Sex is pleasurable. Even to a child. We begin to question our own role in the abuse - well I liked it - so therefore I.......wanted it? A child's body will react to stimulation just as an adult's would. But the child's mind cannot fully comprehend what is happening to them.
And our abuser make us feel shame/blame/guilt. If you tell anyone you will get into trouble. No one will believe you. Who do you think they will believe? You or me?
I work closely with one of the families from the trial (not Mr. Fisher) and they have been repeatedly harrassed by John Ziegler (and his "followers"); attacked on social media, stalked on their FB and Twitter feeds in much the same fashion as Mr. Fisher has been in this exchange.
These young men had their day in court. They had their childhoods taken from them. They deserve the right to control the narrative of the rest of their lives. Mr. Ziegler, I implore you again - leave these young men and their families alone.
Thank you,
Roxine Behrens
President, Tree-Climbers.org
Mr. Fisher faced his abuser in a court of law. He told his story to the jury. He faced cross-examination. I witnessed every painful moment. And he was found credible. By a jury. He then faced Penn State's appointed mediators regarding settlement and, again, was found credible. (not all were - I believe 6(?) were found not credible and did not receive a settlement).
Mr. Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of 48 counts related to child sexual abuse. Mr. Sandusky has the right to appeal the decision - and has an appeal currently in the courts.
Mr. Fisher had his day in court and was found credible. In the legal system that our country was founded on. But that's not good enough for some of you. Still you want to call him a liar. Why? Because his story changed as he began revealing what happened to him as a child?
I know when I told, I only told about the abuse up until the point that an adult (my parents) reacted. And then I shut down. Telling is one of the hardest things and one of the reasons most vicitms never do. Attend a training course on how to respond when a victim begins telling their story and you will find experts are trained to not react, to remain calm, to show compassion. My mother's first words were "Oh my God, this is all my fault!" and she collapsed to the floor on her knees crying - my father's face turned red and he screamed "I'm going to kill the son of a bitch." I hadn't even scratched the surface of what he had done but at that moment, I stopped talking. It was only later that I was able to say more fully what had occurred, but it took several years for the full truth to come out.
We feel complicit in our abuse. Sex is pleasurable. Even to a child. We begin to question our own role in the abuse - well I liked it - so therefore I.......wanted it? A child's body will react to stimulation just as an adult's would. But the child's mind cannot fully comprehend what is happening to them.
And our abuser make us feel shame/blame/guilt. If you tell anyone you will get into trouble. No one will believe you. Who do you think they will believe? You or me?
I work closely with one of the families from the trial (not Mr. Fisher) and they have been repeatedly harrassed by John Ziegler (and his "followers"); attacked on social media, stalked on their FB and Twitter feeds in much the same fashion as Mr. Fisher has been in this exchange.
These young men had their day in court. They had their childhoods taken from them. They deserve the right to control the narrative of the rest of their lives. Mr. Ziegler, I implore you again - leave these young men and their families alone.
Thank you,
Roxine Behrens
President, Tree-Climbers.org
