#MeToo encourages women to share experiences of abuse and harassment, but what many don’t know is that doing so in Canada can put them at risk of a lawsuit—and all of the financial, professional and emotional burdens that come with it.
Source: Canadian Libel Law: How It Silences Victims of Gender-Based Violence
This law is heavily affecting me right now. There are these frat boys in my town that have a ton of money to throw. I have nothing, I’ve experienced sexual assault since I was 9 years old. I’ve been psychically held captive for 2 years and forced to have a baby. I’ve started my life over from nothing more than once. And right now a man that sexually harassed me and a man that sexually assaulted me when I was 13 are threatening to sue me for defamation. By the way, that case where I was held captive for two years, no one heard my voice, everyone spoke for me and I was forced to share 50-50 custody with my rapist and captor. He’s died of a heart attack in 2017 but it was years of terror. Now this terror is re-emerging in my life because THIS MONTH is women’s month and I spoke of my experience because I found strength in the support of other women. But in Canada I am silenced once more. I am in terror once more. Canada.