I don’t care to rehash the media circus surrounding this case. My concern is the inevitable fallout this will create. Victims will be afraid to come forward and abusers will be emboldened with a new threat: If you tell as anyone, I will sue you and drag you through the mud, taking everything from you.

Most victim of Intimate Partner Violence and sexual assault do not make police reports. Or they report late, mix up facts, and other issues related to the traumatic experience. These common responses to trauma are often misconceived as lying. It is hard for any jury to understand, even in the best of circumstances.

I foresee abusers now having another tool to silence their victims. The already horrific responses colleges make when “investigating” campus sexual assaults, will now further silence victims for fear of being sued for damaging the future of their attacker. We already see college administrators refusing to pursue discipline because they don’t want to harm the future of the abuser. No mention, of course, about the harm they are doing to the victim’s future.

I think we are about to have a tsunami effect from the outcome of this case.