A very insightful article about family when it comes to one of their own being accused of sexual abuse. In my experience what she writes is not uncommon.
http://www.alternet.org/gender/i-understand-why-people-believe-sexual-predators-rather-victims-i-did
Not only is not uncommon, but it makes it extremely hard when the victim and the predator belong to the same family.
We can see the insanity in other families, but rarely will family see the predators at their own family reunions, dinner tables and family picnics.
When family doesn't believe that a crime has been committed...and instead focuses on the lives of the victim...it doesn't change the criminal into a nice person, but rather it give him/her cover to continue on.
I know that we all believe the law and courts and attorneys need to do this or that to get these criminals off the street....BUT, family refuses to get them out of the family.
If you only knew how many families are riddled with abusers AND those NOT believing it enough to stop relationships, it would blow your mind.
It is far more common to react like the family in this article, than it is to act like I have.
My family still doesn't see their behavior as being against victims. They see it as supporting family, no matter what. Their behavior is echoed with each new predator that pops up in the midst. The very first place they lean is towards the lives of the victims.
Paint the victims in a negative tone in order to cover-up the predator.
