#WhyIDidntReport: Beth Moore Tweets Her Sex Abuse Experience in 5 Words
Evangelist Beth Moore has joined the chorus of women explaining on social media why they didn't initially report the sex abuse they suffered.
While the social media hashtag #WhyIDidntReport took off in the wake of accusations of attempted rape against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and a tweet by President Donald Trump, arguing that the accuser, Professor Christine Blasey Ford, would have reported her abuse if it really happened.
"I have no doubt that, if the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents. I ask that she bring those filings forward so that we can learn date, time, and place!" he tweeted Friday.
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Moore insisted that she is not making a comment about the Kavanaugh allegations, but is supporting victims.
"He lived in my house. #whyididntreport," Moore tweeted on Friday.
The following day she added: "Make it a safer world to report it and you'll make it a safer world."
She was backed by some other evangelicals leaders, such as Russell Moore, President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
"Sobering. Grateful to God for you Beth," Russell Moore tweeted on Saturday.
Others, however, accused her of joining a social media movement that is at least partly in support of Ford and her explanation for why she didn't report her attempted rape accusations against Kavanaugh for decades.
"Given the most preeminent happening in our country right now I'm assuming ur comments are addressing this. U seem to be justifying destroying a man based on unsubstantiated accusations from 36 yrs ago. I'm disappointed in u. Thought u had a better sense of justice and honesty," wrote a Twitter user on Saturday.
Moore responded in a tweet of her own:
"Let me assure you, sir, I have not one whit of desire for anyone to be falsely accused. That is highly counterproductive and would only end up making it harder for victims. I'm advocating for women to be heard, taken seriously and not placed in harm's way for coming forward."
The #WhyIDidntReport hashtag, which took off at the end of last week, has seen celebrities, women and men speak out about their experiences and their fears that authorities would not believe their stories of sexual assault.
Writer and feminist Cheryl Strayed was one of the many to speak out, explaining on Sunday:
"#WhyIDidntReport Because I was sexually abused at such a young age I didn't even know it was a crime. I didn't have the language to say what was happening to me. Later, as a teen, the sexual harassment and coercion of girls & women was seen the norm, not something to report."
Moore's Twitter exchange took place before Kavanaugh was accused of further sexual misconduct on Sunday night by a second woman, The New Yorker reported. Kavanaugh has denied the allegations and The New Yorker reported it was unable to confirm the story with additional sources. Senate Democrats want to investigate the matter further.
The Supreme Court nominee, who has denied any wrongdoing in both cases, was then accused by attorney Michael Avenatti of participating in parties as a student that plied women with drugs and alcohol, and led to their gang-rapes.
Moore has joined other major hashtags exposing abuse in the past, including the #MeToo movement last year.
"A well meaning mentor told me at 25 that people couldn't handle hearing about sexual abuse and it would sink my ministry. It didn't. #MeToo," Moore tweeted at the time.
In December 2017 she opened up further about her experiences in a blog on her Living Proof Ministries, where she wrote:
"I well remember feeling something akin to paralysis. The word 'no' was not even in my vocabulary. The boundaries around my life were bulldozed early and by a bully, I might add, because, while not all bullies are sexual predators, all sexual predators are, in one way or another, bullies."
Moore added: "There was no manual within my reach about how to rebuild those crumbled boundaries."
