This story discusses sexual violence and may be distressing to some readers.
Until institutions take sexual violence seriously, survivors will keep staying silent
Amid the shocking rape allegations brought forth at Cornell University, the lawyer representing Jane Doe stated that she has been the victim of constant threats and harassment — including the efforts to publicly reveal her identity online.
The efforts weren’t just restricted to anonymous accounts online. Under the absurd guise of “journalistic diligence,” independent “journalist” Michael Tracey posted what he claimed was Jane Doe’s name, either intentionally or obliviously ignoring the fact that anonymity is a staple of responsible journalism. Tracey later redacted his statement.
In a moment where society should have come together to support a victim, we instead continue to embody a culture that systemically dehumanizes and disregards violence against women.
Consider for an instance the courage to go public with these allegations, and consider the humiliation, scrutiny, and backlash Jane Doe has received. Given that, it’s no surprise why only 8.6 per cent of sexual assaults are reported, according to a 2025 survey by the Canadian government.
The fear of retaliation, and the fear that your abusers will garner more understanding than you will, disincentives victims of sexual assault from coming forward — the majority of whom are women.
This creates a culture where allegations are not taken seriously and downplayed across every institutional level — from university administrations, police departments, and individuals online.
And this culture doesn’t just exist in the United States, it exists here in Canada as well.
It’s easy to blame-shift, and to associate this issue as one that is “American.” However, the idea of tangible gender parody in Canada, especially regarding sexual violence, is a myth.
Women in Canada are three times more likely to experience sexual assault than men, 49 per cent of women age 25 to 34 have experienced a sexual assault at least once, and sexual violence is far less likely to be reported than cases of physical assault.
The information that came out of the sexual assault trial of the five players from the 2018 World Junior Canadian hockey team is evidence of this culture existing in Canada. During both incidents, similar degrading texts were sent to group chats as the alleged assault was ongoing. Many jumped to the same victim-blaming arguments that were used in defence of the hockey players for the accused in the Cornell case.
This culture permeates our entire society, and though we may sometimes forget it’s presence, it has never gone away. The “Cornell 7” was not the first, nor, unfortunately, will it be the last of these types of cases.
It starts with wholesale systemic changes and stronger sexual education. Consent, sexual violence, and how to approach these topics more broadly needs greater emphasis in our public-school curriculums to truly change the culture.
It can also take days, months, even years for victims to come forward with their stories. And yet, our system to prosecute rape cases in Canada is completely broken. Less than half of the reported cases of sexual assault result in charges being laid, of which only half proceed to court, only 55 per cent lead to a criminal conviction.
Not only that, cases of sexual assault are also routinely delayed in the court system, further reflecting the need for a comprehensive review of how we handle these cases.
Importantly, it will also require all of us to have difficult conversation on how violence against women is so readily accepted in society, and how all of us have the responsibility to change it.
— Journal Editorial Board
Tags
Cornell 7, Sexual Assault, violence against women
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