kali

innocent until proven guilty, yes. i firmly believe that everyone deserves due process and a fair chance to defend themselves BUT there’s also a social responsibility to protect the potential victim first. these two principles are not mutually exclusive. believing that someone deserves a fair investigation doesn’t mean we should dismiss or invalidate someone who may have experienced sexual assault. coming forward as a victim/survivor could expose you to public scrutiny, disbelief, harassment, and the possibility of having your trauma dissected by complete strangers. the last thing a potential victim needs is to be pressured into speaking before they’re ready, simply because some people are desperate to defend someone they admire. you can remain neutral about someone’s guilt without being neutral about the harassment of a potential victim. it’s a serious matter. presumption of innocence should never be used as an excuse to abandon compassion, empathy, and basic human decency. protecting a potential victim and respecting due process can, and absolutely should, coexist.