It’s been a hell of a news cycle for survivors of sexual assault, with the current administration—led by our president, a man who has been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 16 women—fighting to appoint a man accused of sexual assault to the Supreme Court.On Friday, President Trump tweeted in defense of Brett Kavanaugh, describing him as "a fine man, with an impeccable reputation, who is under assault by radical left wing politicians." The millionaire former reality star then said of Kavanaugh’s accuser, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, that "if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities [sic] by either her or her loving parents."But survivors, along with those who have studied sexual assault reporting, say it’s quite common for those with a history of sexual assault to not come forward immediately. Now, Padma Lakshmi has opened up about being raped as a teenager to explain why victims don’t always come forward with their allegations. In a New York Times op-ed published Tuesday, the author, actress, and television host recounts being raped at 16 years old by her then 23-year-old boyfriend—and how the incident has resurfaced in her life in the wake of the Kavanaugh allegations."I have been turning that incident over in my head throughout the past week, as two women have come forward to detail accusations against the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh." she writes."On Friday, President Trump tweeted that if what Dr. Ford said was true, she would have filed a police report years ago. But I understand why both women would keep this information to themselves for so many years, without involving the police. For years, I did the same thing. On Friday, I tweeted about what had happened to me so many years ago."Lakshmi goes on to share a childhood experience of sexual abuse, and explains how it led to her internalization of the idea that victims are punished for speaking out: "When I think about it now, I realize that by the time of this rape, I had already absorbed certain lessons. When I was seven years old, my stepfather’s relative touched me between my legs and put my hand on his erect penis. Shortly after I told my mother and stepfather, they sent me to India for a year to live with my grandparents. The lesson was: If you speak up, you will be cast out."Like many victims of sexual abuse, Lakshmi says it took years for her to even discuss her rape with those closest to her, let alone authorities. "These experiences have affected me and my ability to trust. It took me decades to talk about this with intimate partners and a therapist," she writes.Lakshmi's piece successfully shifts the conversation from abusers to their victims, serving as a powerful reminder that although sexual assault allegations may cost Kavanaugh a seat on the Supreme Court, Dr. Ford is paying a great, unseen price for her brave choice to speak out. "Some say a man shouldn’t pay a price for an act he committed as a teenager," she writes. "But the woman pays the price for the rest of her life, and so do the people who love her."
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