Athletes and Hotel Workers: Passion or Coercion?

I try not to cast stones in regard to sexual assault claims involving prominent individuals because I try to balance my concerns for the victim with the need to ensure that all claims are fully vetted in our legal system. So while I am a huge Big Ben fan, I will not jump to any judgments as to what happened behind that closed door. I am fascinated, however, how the Internet has transformed the issue of privacy of the victim. Reputable media outlets try to protect the victim by not identifying the victim. This protection has been eviscerated, however, by the Internet. For instance, not only is the name of Ben’s accuser now public (BB actually named her in his statement) but pictures of her are now all over the Internet. This made we wonder about other accusers such as the person who accused Kobe of sexual assault. Sure enough, her name and image is all over the Internet. In fact not only has she been identified, but some other women have been misidentified as the accuser. But publicity can cut both ways, and if the following disquieting video on You Tube is accurate, victims can use the Internet as a forum as well. Alas, this does not draw us closer to the truth; it only ensures that the rumors and questions and innuendo will continue to percolate.