“My so-called friend only returned the following morning, asking casually if I had a good time the night before. I told her about the whole ordeal, but she begged me not to press charges and assured me she would handle the situation. In reality, she was protecting her friendship with Jack, maintaining her association with him despite knowing the torment he had inflicted on me. To make matters worse, she even set him up with her cousin. At the time, she was older and more financially secure than I was, which made me convince myself she must be right. Each time I attempted to address the issue, she'd dismiss me, saying I needed to grow up and realise I wasn't a child anymore. I never spoke of that night again, and we simply moved on. However, it marked the end of our friendship, and we only reconnected six years ago. While we maintain contact, I still harbour deep-seated resentment towards her, and I've yet to find the words to discuss the pain. I was just 22 years old then. I am only sharing my story 20 years later."
"I was deliberately set up to be sexually assaulted by my best friend's (who’s female) male acquaintance, whom we'll call Jack (not his real name). Jack was financially well-off and always seemed to sponsor our nights out, but it became clear that he was targeting me. While he never directly propositioned me, my friend continually insisted that he was interested in me. It all came to a horrifying climax when she left me alone with him at her apartment, feigning a trip downstairs to buy cigarettes. In those agonising 13 minutes, I became the victim of a violent sexual assault. When he was done, he left me alone, shattered and traumatised. The pressure to stay part of the "in-crowd" can cause women to compromise their safety.
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November 2023 | Collective Action Magazine
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