The Rape Monologue: Why Journalists Need to Stop Using “Accuser” Language

Michele Sharpe
May 23, 2018 · 9 min read
[Image description: Neo-Classical public building with reproduction of the Statue of Liberty in front of it.

As a criminal defense attorney, I learned that rapists are a monotonous bunch, often unmemorable as individuals. The one I recall most distinctly is Gregory What’s-His-Name, whose appeal from a jury trial conviction had languished for two years because his male court-appointed counsel was disgusted by him.

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Michele Sharpe

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Words in NYT, WaPo, Oprah Mag, Poets&Writers, et als. Adoptee/high school dropout/hep C survivor/former trial attorney. More at www.michelesharpe.com

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