AIBU in thinking a drunken 18 year old boy should not be called to account for behaviour 35 years later?

[longwayoff]

I'm conflicted. Brett Kavanaugh, nominated by Trump as a Supreme Court judge, has been accused of locking Dr Christine Blasey Ford in a bedroom and sexually assaulting her. This happened in the early 1980s when they were teens at a party and he was very drunk, she hadnt been drinking. She says she is 100 percent certain he did this. He says wasn't me guv.
Her televised evidence was upsetting and convincing. I believe what she says and feel she should have whatever she needs to help her. BUT. Drunken 18 year old boy/man. All these years later? Is that fair? To wreck his career now? Personally, I loathe Trump and all his works, so politically I'm glad to see a fail. But this is not sitting well with me. I feel I should feel better about this. Convince me please.

Kavanaugh and the Republicans totally oppose letting the FBI investigate the alleged gang rape
which is what the Democrats have suggested.

Strange - if the Republicans really wanted to establish the facts
instead of appointing their man regardless of any crimes he may have committed

The Republicans also refused to let his other alleged victims testify, which could show a pattern of behaviour.

Once he becomes a Supreme Cout judge, it would be very difficult to bring him to trial, even if very strong evidence later emerged

Rapists get to decide about abortion yeeeeeaaaahhhhh

A few years ago , I defended - in my social circle - Cameron and Osbourne from the allegations of drug taking at uni,
because those are criminal offences that I count as youthful silliness that should not ruin lives if found out later

I also said the alleged poking of a dead pig's head was irrelevant in Cameron's later career.

Nothing to do with my politics there, just that youthful indiscretions shouldn't damage a later career
BUT
gang rape is not mere silliness
It is a very serious violent crime that causes lasting damage to the victims

Hence credible accusations need to be investigated professionally, even for Kavanaugh to retain his present position as a judge

The hashtag #whyididntreport is trending on Twitter and it is harrowing. There are women in their 70s who have only now plucked up the courage to say they'd been sexually assaulted as teenagers. Imagine having to live with that your whole life, and being suddenly faced with the man who sexually assaulted you potentially being put into a position of power whereby he gets to make profoundly life-altering decisions for women across the country. I think her bravery should be applauded.

Agreed with BigChoc that things that don't harm others could be defensible due to naivety but anything that hurts another person mentally or physically, including anything from theft to rape, should be investigated.
And she may well have wanted to blot this out, but seeing him parading around the news would probably make her feel that the truth should be known. I can imagine that if I had been in that situation at 18 I would probably want to block it out, but if I then saw the same person in the local paper running for mayor or something I'd feel obliged to speak out.

THe fucker's a serial misogynist. The reason they wanted to give him this job was that they didn't have quite enough woman-haters in the role - he was put forward in the first place because he hates women ie would push through further restrictions on abortion.

The single biggest problem the US faces at present is misogyny. It's at the root of everything else that's wrong, and misogyny is being promoted, deliberately.

I have two daughters. They are US citizens. I am thinking of using some of the money their father left to fund their renunciation of citizenship. It looks as if the US is going to be no country for women for the next 4 decades or so.

Collins' voicemail is full.

The concern for me is that someone with these predilictions has gone so far in public life. To the extent that he thinks he is able to sit in judgement on others

If this was a case of a drunk man going too far and groping a woman I'd understand your point, but the victim's account is nasty.

Putting a hand on a screaming woman's mouth whilst undressing her is predatory and utterly repulsive. As is laughing at ber. He is lucky a friend intervened or he would have likely commited a violent rape.

Yes, it did happen in Maryland, in a DC suburb.

I've just read that they've lost Lisa Murkowski's vote without giving the FBI a week to investigate, so that has likely derailed the fast track.

It's a minor point, but I can't find any reference to Ford saying she was locked in the bedroom, but that she locked herself in a bathroom afterwards. Bedrooms in the US normally wouldn't be fitted with a lock that couldn't be unlocked from the inside. It would be too much of a fire hazard.

Can anyone link to the accounts of this being a regular thing?

Most 18 year old boys do not sexually assault women no matter how drunk they get. It is offensive to men not to hold him to account. Moreover, it will send a strong message to those 18 year old boys today who would do such a thing, that sexual violence against women is something they will not get away with. It's not about punishing him for the past, it's about protecting women in the future.

My Mother thinks, and this is verbatim "girls have way too much power these days and they know it. Any little madam can cry 'rape' and too many people listen."

I also have spent a lot of time in therapy talking about my Mother.

"Chances are he would have been found not guilty. Even if there was a room full of witnesses. Why? Because of what she wore, or was flirting with him or some other fucked up reason." Still true now - see recent high profile cases like ched Evans or the Irish rugby players...

RangeRider - has it occurred to you her timing might be due to seeing him all over the media being triggering for her? Has it occurred to you the timing could be precisely BECAUSE she (rightly if it's true) thinks someone capable of such actions SHOULDN'T be in the Supreme Court?

This notion that just being accused of rape or similar ruins a man's life is bull! Even relatively "ordinary" men, even if CONVICTED generally their families, friends and employers (unless legally prevented from doing so eg if the job provides access to vulnerable members of society) still support them and if they serve a custodial sentence they basically come out and carry on where they left off!

Wrenika - took me over 20 years and a nervous breakdown to tell! False allegations are EXTREMELY rare, the nature of the crime is such that it's most likely to take place in private with no witnesses, even physical evidence is explained away by perpetrators by claiming consensual "rough" sex. Lack of witnessed or evidence doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Do you also think the victims of Jimmy savile, rolf harris, Max Clifford etc shouldn't have come forward?

"Look at his behaviour right now. Do we really think that a man who throws temper tantrums like that is truly the best person for a job on the Supreme Court?" Excellent point

"I will say I do have a problem with people only coming forward when an ' accused ' person is suddenly in the public eye." Maybe in some cases it's because they didn't have the name of the person that assaulted them. That person then does something that results in their image appearing on the news or elsewhere - not such a huge jump for them to then recognise their attacker and now be able to give him a name. But as has also been already covered there's the fact that 1 woman making an allegation is easily discredited/dismissed, not so easy when it's 5, 10, 20 victims with very similar statements possibly also including details that aren't in the public domain. And victims KNOW this.

Bestseller why on earth does it being "different times" make any bloody difference?

Another thought just occurred to me, and I'll admit I'm no expert on USA law, but if he is allowed to join the Supreme Court, is there potential for any of his decisions to be overturned if he is investigate and convicted?

Cubtrouble and? Going to a room or cupboard hell going into a bed naked IS NOT an invitation to be raped! Fuck me! Now we're getting victim blaming because the alleged victim WASN'T drinking? Wtf! Women can't win!!

although as pps have pointed out she was physically overpowered.

"No one questioned the men coming forward about their priests or their football coaches 30 odd years later. No one." Sorry I'm sure your intentions are honourable but that's not true.

Iscreamforbenandjerrys and other survivors

My mum doesn't believe me either. Thankfully others have and have been supportive.

@glagdy it's a total headfuck isn't it

Absolutely ridiculous, so young men can assault as many women as they like because they’re young and don’t know any better?
The reason this man got so emotional and angry is because he’s clearly had a whole life without facing consequences for his actions, so he is outraged when he’s dared to explain himself.
Boys will be boys doesn’t fly.

So if you are drunk it's ok to rape someone?

Piss off with that rapist apologist shite. If you are a woman you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

@Iscreamforbenandjerrys the worst is that I have lots of brothers and they're starting to talk about how men are the oppressed in Britain. My Mother is brainwashing them. They can do whatever they like and she supports them, I put a step wrong (or what she sees as wrong) and all hell breaks loose.

My brother cheated on his fiancé. My Mum said 'she probably did something to deserve it.'

It's horrific.

Another Republican on the committee, Jeff Flake, has called for a one week delay to allow the FBI to look into the mess, so along with Murkowski that will should the process. It also calls into question whether they have the votes to confirm him.

should halt the process.

Oh for fucks sake, one of the women whose character testimony he raised in his opening statement at the hearing is on the school board in my town.

That's going to make for some awkward conversations.

At 18, he was an adult and is legally responsible for his actions. He knew what he was doing and drinking alcohol is no defence at all, in fact it makes it worse.

So IF the allegations are true, he should face the consequences.

No get out clause, just because he’s wealthy and has influential friends.

Or where does it end? A rape defendant saying “ but you got away with it m’lud, so you’ll let me off, just this once...l