Madison – September 26, 2018 – Despite repeated calls to conduct a full and impartial investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Judge Kavanaugh, the Senate Judiciary Committee is moving ahead with a hearing on Thursday at which Dr. Christine Blasey Ford will share her story and be subject to questioning by a sex crimes prosecutor. While this rushed process is bad enough, we understand that the Senate has scheduled a vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh, a mere one day after the committee hearing. This sends a message to Dr. Ford, and all sexual assault survivors, that this hearing is a sham process that is not designed to get to the truth about Judge Kavanaugh, but rather which serves to discredit and intimidate her.

If the Senate wanted to design a process that was truly supportive of survivors, it would begin by believing survivors. Instead, Dr. Ford’s credibility has been attacked by referencing inaccurate, stereotypical judgments that have been refuted by research such as suggesting delayed reports of sexual assault are not reliable or that failure to report a sexual assault to law enforcement is reason enough to disbelieve a survivor. However, reliable data indicates that two-thirds of sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement. There are a variety of reasons why survivors choose not to report their sexual assault, one of the most prominent of which is a fear they will not be believed. That reluctance to report is undoubtedly magnified when the offender is in a position of power. The attacks on Dr. Ford’s credibility since she went public, and the threats to her life, are immensely damaging to her and all survivors. We do not need more reasons for survivors to remain silent – the way the Senate has conducted this process may create a chilling effect on survivors reporting their assaults for some time to come.

Dr. Ford has shown tremendous courage in going public and by her willingness to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. However, she is not on trial. Instead of putting the onus on Dr. Ford to prove she is not lying, the Senate Judiciary Committee should focus their attention on Judge Kavanaugh and his actions and subsequent statements. The Senate should treat this hearing as part of a job interview for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. Three survivors have come forward to report incidents of sexual violence by Judge Kavanaugh during his “interview” for the position of Supreme Court Justice. When coupled with repeated questions about the truthfulness of some of his answers during a previous hearing, this should serve to disqualify him from further consideration by the Senate. No one is entitled to positions of power. In fact, those seeking positions of power should be held to a higher standard.

Survivors and advocates will be watching the Senate carefully in the coming days. They will be looking to see if the Senate can demonstrate it has learned any lessons in the 27 years since Dr. Anita Hill testified or in the 24 years since the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).