You are so utterly and incredibly wrong. Wrong on so many levels. Victims often cannot come forward for years. They struggle to make the words fit. They fear disbelieve of others, the retrauma or retelling the story, the shame of being that person. Fear of breaking up families, destroying the future for themselves and even the perpetrator. For too long women have been made to feel guilty for being raped or sexually assaulted. In fact, the word 'Rape' comes from the ancient latin, 'rapious' which was a Roman word to describe stealing or a man's property. The crime was not against the woman's body but the man who 'owned' her (her husband or father). In biblical text and still today in some countries, the victim is 'guilty' of adultery if she 'allows herself' to be raped! Add to this the often asked questions to victims about their dress, were they sober, were they flirting...in fact...did they ask for it. Then something happens and you can stay silent no more, you see the perpetrator behaving in a way that is contrary to everything precious and sacred. It is then the victim speaks. Many many more of us do not. I genuinely mean this when I say this but really really hope you never have to face what this women (many women) faced. I hope you never have that decision, I hope you are not made to feel you have a responsibility to speak out just because you are a victim and believe me...as someone who picked up the broken tatters of literally hundreds of human lives. I hope you are NEVER ever left with the guilt and shame that many victims face.

@Amisja I was a victim of sexual abuse as a child..never raped but 100% molested and made to touch my cousin while her sick father was jerking himself off..I came forward many years later due to the fact I guess I blacked it out and didn't really remember what happened..trust me..I get it..my point is there are always different situations..and what happened to me and my cousin was horrible but we did not allow it to ruin our lives..and let that moment in time define who we are..her father passed away from a heart attack when she was 17..and I was 18..I refused to attend the funeral..I'm not sayin people should not come forward..I'm sayin people should do it for the right reasons..

@Amisja and women should not allow it to ruin their lives..

@Ravenwolfcasey "I feel like people should speak up right away..never keep the truth hidden for any reason." Then you changed it to "right" reasons. "Any reason" is what you said. You don't think keeping the country away from someone who has the character to do this is a good enough reason? Did you also speak up to the 100s of men who came forward against the Catholic Church 20-30 years later? What's their reason. Sorry for your trauma but this one is political because of the people pushing this guy...they can't find an arch conservative who didn't sexually assault someone? Seriously?

@lerlo in regards to the Judge and what he may or may not have done as a teenager I have to say.." Are we the same people we were as teenagers? And it only comes out now when he's in the running to be a supreme court justice? They ( his accusers ) didn't mind him becoming a judge in the first place..then they forfeit their right to complain now...just sayin..if this was not a political agenda and I assure you..no one would have come forward..period

@lerlo the Catholic Church is a whole other evil..and 100% at fault for keeping silent over the abuse and misconduct

@lerlo this all of a sudden came out..before that the judge had a squeaky clean background...

@Ravenwolfcasey Sorry, you can't normally find out who is up for appointment as a Federal Judge, especially if you don't live in the district. So there would be normally no way to complain if you don't know its happening. He'll be confirmed anyway but the country has a right to know who he is--he showed it in his testimony and when they confirm him anyway, then no, apparently it doesnt matter who you assaulted as a teenager. Apparently he didnt have squeaky clean background--they just didnt go back far enough. He wouldnt have committed perjury re his drinking and about terms like "boofing" and "Devil's Triangle" is he had a squeaky clean background.

Now you want to blame the Catholic Church for not reporting (confessing) but it's ok that the victims report it 30 years later. No double standard there. Apparently you're more republican than feminist