The last few years have seen the rise, with unforgettable force, of the voices of women determined to bring out of the shadows the sexual violence they have suffered, and to denounce their attackers. Yet, as Eyja Brynjarsdottir points out, “While one woman’s voice can be silenced and another’s credibility questioned, it is much more difficult to silence and question ‘a chorus of voices sharing similar stories”.
We see this wave, we live it, we go through it hand in hand with the women who frequent our organizations and in solidarity with all the victims who have dared to break the law of silence and claim the right to be heard. The reality that one in three women has been the victim of at least one sexual assault since the age of 16 is not a vague statistic for us. We see them every day, these women, we too carry this story of repeated and invisible violence, we know their weight and their consequences on our bodies, our relationships and our lives.
Only 5% of sex crimes are reported to the police. Among this low percentage, only 3 out of 1,000 complaints result in a conviction in the case of sexual assault. We know that the majority of women do not report their attackers because of a lack of confidence in the justice system, fear of not being believed, or fear of reprisals: fears that we all wish we could put behind us, but the reality quickly calls us to order.
Today, what conclusions have we collectively drawn from the waves of denunciations through which the province has passed and do we take more into account the voice of the victims? Can we really say that there have been changes? Several initiatives are certainly to be welcomed, but it will take more so that in the public space, we are done with all the behaviors which trivialize, excuse and justify sexual assault, explicitly or implicitly, and which characterize what it’s called rape culture.
A system that still trivializes
What do we do when a victim files a complaint against someone in a critical role or position of authority in our communities? This question is particularly relevant in the political world, when elected officials are accused of sexual assault and can continue their political activity without any hindrance and represent our population under the presumption of innocence.
Would business people agree to associate their name with a partner if she was under investigation for fraud? Would recreation, culture and sports organizations agree to publish the financial support of an MP if he was accused of a crime against a minor? Publicly associating with an elected person accused of sexual assault or accepting that they continue to represent us is to be complicit in a system that trivializes sexual assault and relentlessly sends the message to the victims that they are not believed.
It is also important to remember the function of our elected officials and the resulting responsibilities. In fact, a victim will certainly be reluctant to ask their MP for help or information if they have been accused of sexual assault, as will organizations offering support services to victims. How can we make our voices heard in political spheres if our elected officials can no longer be reliable representatives of our missions?
It also goes without saying that, like any public figure, elected officials have access to a media platform that greatly influences public opinion. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see in the media a trivialization of accusations of sexual assault by elected politicians, who continue to be favored by narratives and media treatment focusing instead on praise for their careers and achievements. If the accused can present himself as “presumed innocent”, the word of the victim is often questioned and does not benefit from the same capital of sympathy.
It is understood that any accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, it is important to remember that the presumption of innocence is a legal concept making it possible to avoid jumping to conclusions before the holding of the investigation and the trial and to condemn a person for a crime that he did not have committed. It offers the accused a chance to defend himself and to be heard, and thereby serves to seek the truth in any situation. The presumption of innocence should not be used to presume that the victim is lying, nor to stifle public debate on issues that concern us all.
In the case of a criminal trial taking place before a jury, considering the power of influence held by an elected official in his or her community, the possibility that a jury made up of citizens of the local community cannot ensure a judgment impartial is to be expected. Finally, note that it is not because an accusation does not lead to a conviction that it turns out to be systematically false. In fact, false allegations of sexual assault represent only 2 to 4% of complaints, the same proportion as for all crimes of any kind.
Examples to follow
Considering their functions, our elected officials should represent an example to follow and position themselves as bearers of the voice of the population they serve. Faced with all these inconsistencies, how can we justify the fact that we allow an elected person accused of a criminal offense to continue to represent his population? A withdrawal from political and media life while the judicial process takes its course and the judgment is given, would deal more seriously with the accusations made by women, and the responsibilities of our elected officials vis-à-vis the population. they are meant to serve.
We do not doubt. Our thoughts go out to all those who have dared to denounce and who hope that their story will one day be heard. To all those also who have chosen silence to move forward on their path of resilience. Towards all those for whom the judgment has already been pronounced and who must now learn to live in a society that gives them the wrong of having been attacked. We who work for the rights, safety and dignity of all victims and who are part of the community, we no longer accept the maintenance of the status quo. We, regardless of the social status of your attacker, “we are here and we believe you”.
*The signatory organizations are: CALACS de l’Est du BSL, La Débrouille, a shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, Center des femmes du Ô Pays, Lac-des-Aigles, Center-femmes of Rimouski, Bas-Saint-Laurent Women’s Groups Consultation Table, L’R des Centers de femmes du Québec, The Quebec Regrouping of Centers for Assistance and the Fight against Sexual Assault (RQCALACS)
**To ensure better readability of the text and considering that 96% of attackers are men, we have decided to leave the word “elected” in the masculine in the body of the text.