Yes, they were violated. There will probably be sufficient evidence on many occasions to more than prove a violation happened. However, I would like to ask some questions of these so badly damaged individuals. The answers may help un-puzzle these accuser's current (and past) motives.
But first I'll tell you the story of my early career encounters with "free hands employers". It was an office work job which I desperately needed as I'd been on my own since I was 17 (this was 1968 and I was 19).
The first couple of months were great! I thought I'd found a home at last so I brought in my favorite coffee mug. The one my dad had especially made for me in Japan after the war and it had my name on it. It was gorgeous with the fine line drawing some amazing Japanese artists now on the streets after WWII. It was stunning and I loved it more than anything more so after my parents parted in a very messy divorce.
Deep in conversation with the boss and holding my mug of coffee, I didn't notice everyone had left the office. It was about 6pm and I said I should go when suddenly....the amazing groping octopus came barrelling toward me (he was middle eastern heritage in case you just couldn't stop yourself from asking that question).
I evaded most of the thrusting whatevers, gave a hard shove with my elbow to the gut (thank you Steve, the former boyfriend who knew karate) dropped my mug, grabbed my purse and bolted through the door. I never returned.
I ate potatoes for two weeks and scoured the want ads and billboards for housecleaning jobs until I got a new office position a month later (there was no internet). So, you think it's not the same as what some of these women suffered? You're right. My experience was worse for several reasons.
The memory of the loss of that mug, now my father is dead, hurts far more than either of the two times I was raped (one was my direct fault, the other was totally bad karma and I'm lucky to be alive). But I made a choice to greatly disadvantage myself in order to leave an unprincipled situation and person, regardless of what it cost me personally. This was 1967 folks. If you reported rape, you were often treated as a criminal and there weren't many women police officers.
These women didn't. For the most part, they stayed. Why? Because they valued their perceived benefit in staying over their own principles. They could have attempted to expose the person then but they chose to benefit from taking the disrespect of themselves and their principles. Even the one who was asleep! Seriously, you didn't know what kind of a person you were falling asleep around? There were no "previous indicators" of who your manipulative, power-seeking boss truly was? Really?
In the second part, I must admit to being as guilty as they but for entirely different reasons. Our crime was to not hold the person accountable for their behavior. OK, 1967, me a know nothing, high school educated, child abused sickly being with about as much self-esteem as a toilet seat. I was stupid, completely alone (no family or friends I could ask for anything) and broke.
And then we have these women who were in polite society situations with highly educated, wealthy, respectable people in probably not too shabby a paid job. Yes, they had a lot more to walk away from but they did turn their backs on the most precious thing in their existence. Their principles.
The most egregious condemnation of these women is their silence about those with so much power. My little middle eastern mauler could only do so much damage in his small sphere of influence and probably did to the maximum and to many. But in the magic realm of someone like Al Frankin, the immense possibilities to do harm are virtually endless, especially with those who idolized him.
So now that you've come forward, years or decades later, how many other women after you were damaged because of your decision to remain silent? These were not stay at home dads and they free-ranged the world including every backwater country or location you can name. If they were willing to rape you here in the US, exactly what do you think they may have "gotten away with" as visitors to places so ravaged with control issues they no longer even exist.
History abounds with the unmentionable acts of those with immense power and privilege. Unseen they have committed atrocities throughout the ages...because they could. Why do we think anything has changed?
So, no, rather than celebrate all these women "coming out" about famous people it saddens me it took until now for them to speak and seemingly only when a heap of others did. That does not speak well of our current "society" or women.
Only when we look at each other on a day to day basis as "a set of values" instead of "a color" and "purveyors of principles" instead of "collectors of power" will it change. It's the same answer over and over. When we change, they will change. When we establish these kinds of guidelines for assessing each other; when we practice these ways of being in our homes and businesses, then will those who want power over others change their behavior.
Start with today. See people for who they really are; their values and principles. Ignore their appearance which could lead you to an entirely wrong conclusion. Look for who they really are by how they treat and deal with others. Seeing only the surface may find you turning away from a future life-long friend...you never got to know because of their "packaging".
