A

This is how I understand it.

Once they've been convicted, I don't think they have any expectation to anonymity at all.

Before conviction, a place like MS has no way to investigate claims. Therefore there is nothing to stop people from accusing anyone of anything. Which in the short run could do some good, but in the long run would turn this place into a magnet for the scum of the earth to come and seek revenge on anyone who had wronged them by falsely accusing them of being an abuser.

Allowing unproven accusations here would also allow people to come on here and claim that victims were not victims but fellow abusers, just to mess with them. Most people wouldn't have the gall to do that, but some would. Once you open the door to accusations, a lot of innocent people can get hurt and this place very quickly becomes unsafe for vulnerable victims.

I think if an individual wants to write an autobiography and is willing to take the heat, more power to them. But a message-board can become a tool of the wicked very quickly if just lets accusations run rampant.

A

When I was waiting to go to court I was told not to talk about any details of my case online. Though I have to admit it was my dad that told me that, I don't know if that's the official line, but it makes sense that it would be the case. I think if you wrote a book and named the people that abused you then it would be the publisher that got sued. But you can self publish pretty easy these days anyway. I understand why you'd want to. It sucks that so many people just get away with what they've done.

"We aren't trying to hurt anyone. We just want to be heard and accepted and believed"

Well said. Frankly, I know exactly how you feel about the "conspiracy of silence." There are already psychological obstacles and social pressures that persuade survivors to remain silent for far too long but when it comes to the legal stuff we really have our work cut out for us. I believe in due process and "innocent until proven guilty" as I am sure most people here. However, it is also understood a mere accusation of a crime (especially rape) is destructive to a person's reputation. So yeah slander and libelous suits are an option put in place to dissuade false accusations and I get it.

Regardless, it pisses me off knowing just how much protection is out there for perps. Even guys as bad Sandusky get away with it for decades before having a judge give him 30-60 years on 45 counts of soul murder instead of the 442 years he deserved all because a stiffer sentence would be "too abstract." What the hell are you talking about judge? Maureen Down wrote "it was an open joke in Penn State football circles that you shouldn't drop your soap in the shower when Jerry was around". Dowd concluded her column in the next line with "Only the boys in the shower weren't laughing." Neither am I...

"

"

"