E. Jean Carroll, We believe you.

E. Jean Carroll, We believe you.

(A revised version of this post ran in the Boston Globe on Friday, May 12th.)

In response to the E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald Trump verdict and the backlash she has received throughout the trial, we want to say, E. Jean Carroll, we believe you.

When Donald Trump told us who he was, we believed him too.

Instead of asking, “Why did E. Jean Carroll take so long to come forward?”, we should ask, “Why do so many survivors choose not to report?” Watching this trial, it was clear. 

We heard Donald Trump say that he just kisses women and grabs them by the pussy. 26 women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Trump. Many of those accounts are strikingly similar. Despite this, Carroll was still asked why she did not scream, burn the clothes she wore, or behave in a multitude of other ways deemed appropriate following a harrowing experience. Trump’s misogynistic response to each allegation was as disgusting as it is predictable, noting that the women are unattractive, not his type, or implying that they somehow deserved the treatment.

Carroll described herself as “a member of the silent generation”, but even today, only one-third of women report to law enforcement. One in four women in the U.S. will experience a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime, yet there were only 2,028 reported rapes in Massachusetts last year. How many victims are paralyzed in silence after being raped? This verdict should give new hope to survivors everywhere. It may indicate a slight shift in our culture that inspires us to believe survivors when they come forward.

We believe E. Jean Carroll, the 26 women harmed by Donald Trump, and all survivors.