This Washington Post article by Beth Jacobs tells a wrenching story of how she was raped years ago, never reported it, and now is torn over whether to reveal the terrible incident to the rapist's wife.
Jacobs questions her obligation in the wake of the Christine Blasey Ford testimony to Congress about Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court nominee whom she says attempted to rape her when she was 15 and he was 17.
What is the right thing to do? Presumably the woman fell in love with Jacobs' rapist; they now have two children. What would be gained by telling her what kind of man she married? What would it do to her and her children?
What about her own truth? What does she owe herself?
"So there, now I’ve reported it," wrote Jacobs. "Please do not call me brave, because the shame of this story is his, not mine. Instead, consider this: What happened that night is savagely ordinary, one of countless acts of violence so many women bury, imposing forgetfulness over them like layers of river silt."
Later in the article, Jacobs wrote:
"Would my rapist’s wife believe me? Do I have a responsibility to name him, knowing it could bring solace to other women I heard rumors about — women who might have gone through what I did at his hands? Should she know because she probably loves him, and maybe he’s a different person now who could learn from what he did? Or because he might not be different at all?"
She said her internet search has shown that the man in question apparently is living a respectable, good life helping others. So what should she do?
Read Jacobs' article in The Post. She has carefully considered what action, if any, she should take and their implications. You may agree with her decision, or you may not. And read some of the comments below.
What would you do?