Watson: Fairfax said 'I knew you'd be too afraid to say anything'

[crazytown]

Last edited Sat Feb 9, 2019, 10:27 AM - Edit history (2)

Nancy E. Smith
February 8, 2019

We have heard from numerous press sources that in response to Meredith Watson revealing that Justin Fairfax raped her when she was a student at Duke, Mr. Fairfax has chosen to attack his victim again, now smearing her with the typical “she’s nuts” defense. He revealed that Ms. Watson was the victim of a prior rape. That is true.

Ms. Watson was raped by a basketball player during her sophomore year at Duke. She went to the Dean, who provided no help and discouraged her from pursuing the claim further. Ms. Watson also told friends, including Justin Fairfax

Mr. Fairfax then used this prior assault against Ms. Watson, as he explained to her during the only encounter she had with him after the rape. She left a campus party when he arrived, and he followed her out. She turned and asked: “Why did you do it?” Mr. Fairfax answered: “I knew that because of what happened to you last year, you’d be too afraid to say anything.” Mr. Fairfax actually used the prior rape of his “friend” against her when he chose to rape her in a premeditated way. Like he is smearing Dr. Vanessa Tyson, Mr. Fairfax is now smearing Ms. Watson. That’s shameful.

The smears on victims of sexual assault have to stop. Why would any woman come forward with information about a powerful man knowing that he and his supporters will stop at nothing to smear and discredit them? Women come forward to support one another and to stop the culture of rape that is even more pervasive than we acknowledge.

https://wset.com/news/local/new-statement-from-attorney-claims-fairfax-raped-watson-in-premeditated-way

Sorry. I can’t get my thoughts together. Shocking stuff.

UPDATE: Watson’s Statements corroborated by 1980 Duke Student

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211797744

[mr_lebowski]

1. It's probably because this is such an UNBELIEVABLY FOREIGN concept to me ...

But this is just getting surreal.

And I get what you're saying ... normal thoughts ... are no longer working.

WTFF?!?

[alwaysinasnit]

2. +1000

[yankeepants]

3. The OP needs to amend the headline

Speaking strictly from a journalistic point of view, the quote, in this header, is directly attributed to Fairfax. It can literally be taken as though he said this yesterday directly to Watson on record when in reality it is from a statement from her attorney and needs to be regarded as allegation because there is no proof (witness, recording, written statement from Fairfax).

Possible correction: Watson statement: Fairfax said "...

[sinkingfeeling]

7. +100

[crazytown]

11. Done.

Thanks.

[Hortensis]

4. How does her attempt to get her prior rapist prosecuted,

plus telling her fellow students about that attack and attacker, support a claim that Fairfax said he knew she wouldn't say anything about a second attack? And how does his denial that he said that prove he's smearing her?

Sure, people and situations are complex and that many things that are real don't seem to make slizeense, and things are looking darker for Fairfax, but this OP is posted as if it offers evidence against Fairfax, and I don't see it. Right now it's continuation of the "the accusation is the proof."

It's just plain wrong to choose to believe what we cannot know to be true and to disbelieve what we cannot know to be false. We can take political positions about what should be done and why, but we have no duty to deceive and dishonor ourselves.

[LisaL]

6. Good point.

If she wasn't afraid to tell people about the previous alleged rape, why would then Fairfax supposedly think she would be afraid to say anything about a second alleged rape. Per the story she went to the Dean and told friends about the first rape. Sure doesn't sound like someone who is afraid to say anything.

[yardwork]

9. If the dean discouraged her from pursuing the charges, that leaves her vulnerable.

A person who is traumatized and then not believed by authorities becomes even more traumatized, and vulnerable to additional attacks.

[yardwork]

8. If she told other people at the time, that is important.

[Hortensis]

10. Agree with both points. But still.

Two accusers now. Unless there's some dramatic turnaround in this dynamic, his political career is destroyed and, given the enormous stakes for VA and our nation, I believe asking him to resign is the right thing to do.

Let's at least be honorable enough, though, to admit and regret our inability to establish guilt or innocence definitively beforehand.

[yardwork]

12. I hate the immediate calls for resignation.

This looks bad for Fairfax, but as a society we need to slow up on the knee jerk reactions. Especially by Democratic leaders.

[crazytown]

15. I totally agree.

This is not he said she said. There should be an investigation She said she told her friends immediately. If they are prepared to sign affidavits, Fairfax should consider his position.

[yardwork]

16. Right. And the worst part is that people fall back on old stereotypical attacks on the women.

When these criminal matters are "investigated" on social media, all kinds of foolish things get said. We see posts attacking the behavior of the women - "why was she in his hotel room," "how can oral sex be rape?" - that perpetuate all the falsehoods that keep women from reporting in the first place.

The outcome is bad for everybody and it actually sets back victim's rights.

[crazytown]

18. Update: Duke classmate, now an Attorney, has come forward.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211797744

[yardwork]

20. I saw that yesterday. It looks bad for Fairfax.

Contemporaneous corroboration is one of the things investigators look for when doing investigations.

Also, she told other people about this incident over the years, as documented in her emails and I think Facebook posts. She didn't just start talking about this.

Finally, her story about the dean at Duke in 2000 dismissing her accusation about a prior rape and advising her not to pursue charges is exactly what other students have sued Duke and other universities for doing. This is how universities were treating accusations of rape. Big federal lawsuits about this, and at least one documentary.

[crazytown]

21. Sometimes we get caught up in the politics of this all,

and in the fury of the unspeakable injustice rape victims have suffered ... forever.

I feel there should be something like due process, but each instance depends on its individual circumstances. I don’t know. The spouse and kids will suffer just as much if an innocent man is brought down in a flurry of political panic, as the families of the guilty.

[peggysue2]

28. Slowing the process is the key

If we're really interested in coming to some sort of reasonable conclusion: who is credible/who is not, did this alleged charge happen as stated, then slowing the process down until testimony and corroborative materials can be assembled is critical. Otherwise, it's just a rush to judgment, a torch and pitchfork moment.

There are real lives on the hook, particularly with criminal accusations. For both the accused and the accuser.

Slow it down and do the serious work/investigation required. Then let the chips fall as they may.

[yardwork]

17. Adding that I agree with your post!

The immediate calls for resignation that I deplore are the ones that came from Democratic leaders immediately after the first accusation. We need to slow down.

[Hortensis]

19. And I agree with all of you and deplore this very mean

era and the rush to immediate punitive and politically expedient action -- from all sides. And the total disregard by many around the nation for the wishes of VA voters, whatever they are.

But I do not make the grave mistake of imagining Democrats are bad actors here. They all are extremely aware that failure to act definitively -- in the right way -- could cause all VA to fall to the hard right, not just one politician. This reality creates a higher responsibility.

The slowing Gov. Northam accomplished has so far yielded information on the insidious role of the "Big League Politics" creeps, a second and devastating rape accusation, some indirect peripheral support for the accusations against Fairfax, and promise to act to impeach Fairfax if he does not resign.

[crazytown]

23. The vultures are hungry

[Hortensis]

25. Nah, way too pessimistic. VA's going blue,

and these guys under attack were elected by large margins, especially by POC, for reasons important to them.

And the Trump admin and the Republicans in VA's assembly will keep voters reminded of those reasons. They're too arrogant and too close to their goals to stop betraying the electorate now.

[crazytown]

13. Watson's says she told her friends what Fairfax said.

Should be easy enough to establish. If two or more recall that, then barring other evidence, it is Prima Facie established on the balance of probabilities.

[kcr]

22. Yep. Does not make sense.

Al Franken 2.0

[Yosemito]

5. Horrible article

They claim she was raped before, but they have no proof in the article she was raped before.
She claimed she was raped before.

[crazytown]

14. It's not an article - it's a Statement by Watson's attorney.

Watson asserts she told her friends at the time. It that is corroborated, then barring evidence to the contrary, it’s Prima facie evidence.

[standingtall]

24. That could be complicated given the other allegation

As far as I ca tell only one friend does she claim to have told during the time of the alleged incident the others were told through email and facebook years later. Given how close the time frame of the Fairfax and Duke basketball player allegation are the two could easily be conflated if she didn't specifically identify Fairfax in the account she told to her friend.

[lark]

26. WTF, what kind of proof do you want?

She went to the Dean!. She also told friends immediately afterwards and did so many times over the years - according to the article - again, looking totally awful for Fairfax, but let there be a real investigation, see if she just got a large check from rw sources, see if they were where she said, etc. etc. WE do need to have due diligence done because this is such a serious and unforgivable charge.

[peggysue2]

29. It is an unforgivable charge

Which is why slowing the process down is the only way to get a handle on any of it. The charges are serious, criminal in nature. Virginia either takes its time in gathering testimony and corroborative materials or they'll extend & exacerbate the torches and pitchfork moment.

The women's charges need to be taken seriously as well as Justin Fairfax's vehement denial. They can't both be true. For Fairfax, he's either an innocent man unfairly accused or a sociopath, a predator. For the women? They're either telling the truth or are deeply deceptive and/or disturbed.

No one is going to work this mess out in a week's time. There could be a call for impeachment on Monday morning; there's a Democratic legislator who has declared his intention to file for impeachment in the Fairfax case. If that proceeds, I would expect testimony and corroborative materials to be collected and presented. If that doesn't happen then an independent investigation needs to go forward. Unless, of course, Tyson brings charges herself for the first accusation.

Anyway you look at it, it's a hot mess.

[brush]

27. Investigation needed. The quote attributed to Fairfax...

doesn't ring true. Maybe she paraphrased what she alleges he said backthen but it reminds me of what one of Al Franken's accusers alledged he said to her when he allegedly tried to kis her—"It's my right as an entertainer."

Hard to believe anyone would say either of those things when allegedly groping or raping someone.

An investigation, please.

[MineralMan]

30. If that's true, he has no business holding any office of trust.

If that's true, we should all want him ousted.

[LexVegas]

31. Sexual predators seek out vulnerable victims. Fairfax must go. nt