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Lowenna Waters
Sep 28, 2018
US Republican senator Lindsey Graham has been caught on camera dismissing an alleged sexual assault victim who confronted him outside of the Kavanaugh hearing at Capitol Hill.
On Thursday, a DC woman named Robyn Swirling, who attended the Kavanaugh hearing, approached the South Carolina Republican after he criticised Dr Christine Blasey Ford for not remembering the exact dates she was allegedly assaulted by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Before she approached him, CNNreports he said:
If you can ignore everything in this record (except) an allegation that's 35 years old, that's uncertain in time place date and no corroboration.
If that's enough for you, God help us all as Republicans.
Because this happens to us, but this never happens to them.
Let me tell my Democratic friends, if this is the new norm, you better watch out for your nominees.
After he made the comments, feminist activist Swirling approached Graham wearing a 'Trust women' t-shirt, and told the Senator that she was raped 13 years ago, however she didn't remember the exact date. She then made the point that just because she didn't remember the exact date, does that mean he doesn't believe her.
In response, he dismisses her.
The moment was caught on video. In it, Swirling can be heard saying:
Senator, I was raped 13 years ago but I don't remember the exact date, do you believe me?
In response, Graham simply says:
You need to go to the cops. Go to the cops.
After the incident, Swirling took to Twitter to identify herself as the woman in the video. In a series of tweets, she explained that if the Senator had taken the time to talk to her, he'd realise that the cops can't do anything to help as the alleged assault occurred so long ago.
In the tweets she wrote:
That was me! @LindseyGrahamSC said he did not believe Dr. Ford because she couldn’t recall the exact date of the assault. I told him I was raped 13yrs ago but don’t know the date. So would he believe me? #BelieveSurvivors
She then followed up with another message:
If @LindseyGrahamSC had paused to talk with me, instead of rushing into the elevator, I’d have told him the cops can’t do anything about it now, but that doesn’t make it any less true and doesn’t make me any less credible
Swirling, a Huff Post guest writer, identifies herself as the founder of Work In Progress, a certification program to eliminate sexual and gender-based harassment in progressive workplaces. She also describes how:
She is committed to ending the stigma associated with women's experiences and bodies, and writes regarding sexual assault, abortion, and physical manifestations of trauma.
HT Daily Mail
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