400. Why Didn't She Report It?

TRIGGER WARNING: sexual assault

Why didn't she report it? Why did she keep talking to him afterward? Why didn't she just leave?

We ask these questions about survivors of sexual assault all the time. But when even a conviction doesn't guarantee meaningful consequences, and the very things someone does to stay safe can be used to question their credibility, the answers become a lot more complicated. This week, we're examining what happens when survivors seek justice, and why so many never do.

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Sources:

theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/06/stanford-s…

cbsnews.com/news/chanel-miller-reads-her-entir…

theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/06/father-sta…

theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/26/brock-turn…

cbsnews.com/colorado/news/austin-wilkerson-rel…

illinoiscourtscommission.gov/case-details?id=121

cbsnews.com/news/christopher-belter-rape-proba…

bjs.ojp.gov/document/cv2_4.pdf

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12081761

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39548865

cbsnews.com/news/cornell-university-rape-alleg…

cbsnews.com/newyork/news/cornell-university-ra…

cbsnews.com/newyork/news/cornell-university-ra…

apnews.com/article/556db045600f8d5aa274f913bb5…

apnews.com/article/e5d3182af81fff6efc86d700516…

apnews.com/article/259e923dc2fb581f6565b0c4969…

reuters.com/legal/government/cornell-hires-ex-…

cornellsun.com/article/2026/10/faq-edited-corn…

people.com/cornell-rape-case-man-accused-wants…

All Witches, Magic, Murder, & Mystery episodes are a mix of Kara and Megan’s personal thoughts and opinions in response to the information that is publicly available at the time of recording, as well as, in some cases, personal accounts provided by listeners. In regard to these self-reported personal accounts, there can be no assurance that the information provided is 100% accurate.

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