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Lori's avatar
5dEdited

Unfortunately, most men and women have no understanding of the effects abuse has on victims. Jury instructions in cases involving sexual abuse need to include clearly stated descriptions of how easily victims can be cowed into apparent, but truly not, willing participation. Simply put, without careful instruction, the average juror is just not qualified to evaluate the mental or emotional states of victims of sexual abuse.

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Shaileen Patton's avatar

So many people claim “trauma” these days, especially on social media. “I have PTSD from…”, “OMG I was totally traumatized by that…”, “Oh it’s my ancestral trauma triggering me”. And yet, they do not understand the effect of trauma on the nervous system and what complex trauma actually looks like. Like so many things in this day and age, I am disgusted but not surprised by the verdict. I do not blame the prosecutor. And it was a stretch for a jury of 12, most of whom are probably unfamiliar with trauma and its effects, to understand the distinctions in question here.

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