For those who couldn’t scream. Writer E. Jean Carroll was finally able to scream the truth about herself to vent and try to ease the emotional wounds caused by the sexual assault she suffered at the hands of a powerful man named Donald Trump. It was a cry that she repressed for almost 30 years, because it is not easy for victims of sexual abuse to go out and denounce their attackers. They simply have the odds to lose. Even at this point, the first thing Trump’s lawyers asked Carroll was why she didn’t yell for help, if the assault happened in the dressing room of a busy store. Fortunately, the jury in this case understood the state of shock that can paralyze victims and found enough evidence to give the writer a favorable ruling. Trump must pay him $5 million.
Carroll’s claim would not have been possible if a window of opportunity had not been opened for victims of sexual crimes to seek justice for acts that have already prescribed. It was the city of New York that opened this legal loophole, understanding that there are many victims who have endured their pain in silence. Here in Bolivia, the Government has just announced a bill that seeks similar purposes. Good measure, although it remains to be seen if the Bolivian system is capable of providing protection, due process and compensation. There must be thousands and thousands of boys and girls – now adults – who have suffered some type of abuse at the hands of pedophiles who took advantage of their vulnerability. And not only in schools, but also in the environment of family and friends.
