Day Against Victim Blaming with a Special Event
By Smaranda Botezatu | Magazine | May 12, 2023
Cover Illustration: Breach of Trust poster, 2019. Mishal Mahmud / USC
“There needs to be a mindset change before victims come forward,” says Dayna, the treasurer of Consent. “People tend to say, ‘file a complaint, go to the police, speak up,’ but there is still a lot of shame attached to it. Telling such a horrific story is not easy, and we should not expect or push victims to do it, especially considering the current climate.”
Magazine reporter Smaranda Botezatu attends a film viewing event for the International Day Against Victim Blaming hosted by the student association Consent at UvA.
April is recognized as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, an annual campaign that aims to raise awareness on sexual assault, common misconceptions and ways to prevent it. In honor of ‘International Day Against Victim Blaming’, the student association Consent at UvA organized a film screening and discussion of the short documentary ‘Breach of Trust.’ Its intent is “to shed light on victims of sexual violence and promotes much needed open conversations regarding these topics.”
‘Breach of Trust’ follows the story of the women who were sexually assaulted at the University of Southern California (USC) by Dr. George Tyndall, the only full-time gynecologist at the school’s student health clinic. Between 1986 and 2016, Dr. Tyndall treated more than 17,000 women in his practice. The case surfaced to public scrutiny when journalists Harriet Ryan and Matt Hamilton at the Los Angeles Times published their investigation on how the misconduct complaints were ignored by USC officials.
In its 25 minutes of runtime, the documentary impacts the audience through its raw and powerful interviews with the victims. Director Mishal Mahmud, a USC graduate, compassionately creates a safe space for the women to come forward with their stories. In addition to the disturbing details of what occurred behind Dr. Tyndall’s curtain, it is revealed how he targeted international students, especially Chinese. He believed they were more vulnerable coming into a completely new system and country and not having their family close. He tried to make conversation with these students past the normal medical questions. He was also taking inappropriate photos of the students’ genitalia. This happened since at least the 1990s, when staff first complained about his behavior.
What is baffling and enraging is how USC, despite hundreds of accusations, did not take any action against him until 2016. After USC nurse Cindy Gilbert reported Tyndall to the campus rape crisis centre, he was suspended and placed on paid leave. USC failed to report him to law enforcement or the medical board.
The documentary was a starting point for a discussion between the organizers and the auditorium about victim blaming and related topics. “Victim blaming is the phenomenon of people claiming that it’s the victim’s fault for being sexually assaulted,” explains Lieke, Event Coordinator. “This puts the victim, who already must deal with the aftermath of the assault, through re-traumatization. It also aids the perpetrator. The most common examples include being blamed for the rape because of a short skirt or being drunk.” This type of response only makes it harder for victims to come forward with their story, as one victim in the documentary highlights. Especially when faced against powerful institutions and famous people, the public sentiment usually sides with the aggressor. “What is important,” Lieke continues, “is to listen with an open heart and an open mind and to remember that the victim is never at fault.”
“There needs to be a mindset change before victims come forward,” says Dayna, the treasurer of Consent. “People tend to say, ‘file a complaint, go to the police, speak up,’ but there is still a lot of shame attached to it. Telling such a horrific story is not easy, and we should not expect or push victims to do it, especially considering the current climate.”
The documentary also brings into discussion how to set boundaries in places where there is a strict hierarchical structure. In our talk, we disclosed some of our experiences about being afraid to speak up due to cultural differences, feeling that it is not our place to do so because the other person is believed to have more expertise, or due to the desire to please people. “Even though it might be hard to set boundaries in the first place, we should know that consent is ours to give, not ours to take,” explains Dayna. The conversation raised the issue of generational gaps, how gen Z-ers might be perceived as more ‘sensitive’ by gen X or Baby Boomers. “I think our generation has learned to be open about subjects which used to be swept under the rug and perceived as a normal part of life,” says Dora, Head of Social Media and Design. “We talk about our emotions and we are working toward breaking the cycle of keeping quiet, which might come as a shock to older generations.”
However, we should not assume that young people will generally and automatically be progressive. “Young people are not immune to the narrative of victim blaming and rape myths,” Dora highlights. “That is why we need education in schools that tackle sexual and domestic violence. Awareness and information are vital for making people understand and believe victims.”
With a teal ribbon adorning my blouse (symbolizing support for victims of sexual violence), I leave the event with a bittersweet taste from the reality pill that the documentary showcased. It’s a concoction of anger, disgust and sadness for the injustice the victims had to face. However, above all, it is sweetened by hope. Hope that events such as this one organized by Consent at UvA will become increasingly more common, events which are truly necessary for exposing myths on sexual violence and creating a safe environment for victims to speak up about their stories without fearing shame and judgement.
Smaranda Botezatu is a university student in Amsterdam. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Amsterdammer.
