Content warning: This story mentions rape and sexual assault.
After a former Cornell University student filed a lawsuit stating that she was sexually assaulted by seven men at a fraternity house, actress Florence Pugh took to Instagram. The horrifying case has outraged women everywhere, sparking a conversation on rape culture nationwide. Even though Jane Doe was allegedly gang raped for hours — “I felt like bait. I felt like lions around me,” she told police — none of the men faced criminal consequences. In response, Pugh described her anger in her Instagram post and called for men everywhere to be held accountable.
In response to her advocacy, Instagram censored her post. When Instagram hides a post, a symbol of an eye crossed out appears in place of a photo on a user’s grid. This imagery is yet another symbol of women being silenced. Pugh described rape as “a killing of a soul.” Meanwhile, most of the defendants received outrageously lenient sanctions, such as workshops and essay-writing assignments, after Jane Doe bravely made a report. Time and time again, victims are let down and swept under the rug.
To many, rapists’ reputations are more important than a woman’s life-long trauma. Talk-show host Megyn Kelly recently interviewed Tara Davis, the lawyer of defendant Gillio Lopes. After Jane Doe dropped out of college due to the trauma and ostracization of her peers, Lopes seems to be more concerned about his own reputation after allegedly raping her. “He’s trying to complete his degree, but as you can imagine it’s incredibly difficult. His name, his reputation, everything has been affected by this. He’s having safety concerns,” Davis stated.
Beliefs like this are why Pugh’s Instagram post was censored. While Pugh stood out because she was one of the most prominent celebrities to defend Jane Doe, the victim-blaming in this case is all too common. Lopes’ lawyer is only shocked that his name is no longer being protected because it’s so common for men to face zero consequences after shattering a woman’s life.
It’s also too common to not only participate in the crime, but to be complicit by ignoring it. During that night, there was a Snapchat group chat with more than 50 members of the fraternity. They shared abhorrent and sexually humiliating comments, inviting members to join in on the alleged rape. In Pugh’s post, she communicated that the men who sat and watched are just as responsible. Instead of reporting it, they tortured Jane Doe by ignoring her and laughing in her face.
This case is not an isolated incident. It’s an assault that is familiar to millions of women worldwide. People are quick to blame the victims — “Why were you drinking?” “Why did you put yourself in that situation?” — but are unable to blame the perpetrators.
Why is it so hard to recognize that no one should be blamed for being a victim of sexual assault? Perhaps because of people like Davis, Lopes’ attorney. Or perhaps because of institutions like Cornell University, which would rather protect their reputation as a prestigious university than protect the safety of their own students. Or perhaps because of rapists everywhere in the world, not just confined to the walls of Cornell, who escape well-deserved punishments.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.