Netflix's "Hard, Believing": Later, I can only say, "I dreamed I was sexually assaulted"

"If the truth is inconvenient, if the truth is not reasonable, they will not believe you." 」

Netflix's September new drama, "Hard, Believing," is based on a true story of a young girl who reports sexual assault but is accused by the police of false accusations.

Photo: "Difficult, Incredible"

The plot depicts 18-year-old Mary Adler being raped by unknown people while she was asleep late at night. However, after the report, Mary Adler suffered again: including the police torture and questioning, the foster parents' distrust of her can no longer bear the pressure of her, and finally said that she made up the sexual assault, the police in turn accused Mary Adler of lying. A few years later, two female police detectives in other areas, Grace Rasmussen and Karen Duvall, discovered a series of rapes who sexually assaulted women using the same technique, and opened a series of investigations.

Photo: "Difficult, Incredible"

And this year (2019) October, the two-year anniversary of the #metoo, since the outbreak of Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood, the #metoo movement spread to all parts of the world, from the film and television industry to the political circle, spread to everyone's life, more and more victims of sexual assault came out to tell their stories, and people have been through the Internet, parades, Speak for victims of sexual assault.

Has there been any change in the situation of victims of sexual assault after the outbreak of the #metoo campaign? What else has not been seen? With this film drama "difficult, believable" depicts the sexual assault case, let's talk about the victim's neglected choice.

(Following micromines)

You said I had a choice, but I didn't have a choice.

"So after you told Judith, you called the neighbor?" Why did you call her? 」
"He's got a blindfold edus, but he doesn't have anything tied to her?" 」
"Can a shoelace hold her?" 」
"Is there really a rapist we need to hunt down?" 」

After Mary Adler reported the crime, after a series of tortures from the police, detectives, hospitals, etc., she had to repeat the process of sexual assault: I spoke late, went to bed, tied him to his shoelaces, and when he left, I cut open the shoelaces and called Judith. At first, everyone believed her, but in this repeated dictation, there were many more words that sounded "unreasonable" and "incoherent", including Mary Adler's calm attitude after the case, her insistence on buying the same bed sheets as the original one, all of which made the foster mother and the police suspicious.

From the plot string to the reality, sexual assault victims continue to accept torture investigation, interrogation, the damage caused by the incident is no less than the incident, including what is usually worn, why late home, why call him instead of him, so that the victim feel is not safe, but feel that all the responsibility of what happened, must be attributed to himself.

In the play, it also reflects the huge problem of sexual assault: we say that victims have a choice, but they don't.

"You can decide whether to resist.
"You can decide whether to go with him or not."
"You can decide whether to report it or not."
"You can decide whether or not to tell you the details."

The victim seems to be before the incident, the incident to the incident, there are many links can reverse the result, as long as the victim at a certain moment to make a certain action, can avoid things, as long as the victim explained, people will not question you. But society ignores how the circumstances affect people's instinctive response, and the trauma to people is beyond measure. Imagine that fear and humiliation have not subsided, and no one wants to understand your panic, and is anxious to ask you to bring the events into their circumstances, to speak out carefully, not to have any logical errors or perverse points, as Mary Adler said: "If the truth is inconvenient, if the truth is not reasonable, they will not believe you." (Recommended reading: Why can't victims of sexual assault resist immediately?) ) )

Photo: "Difficult, Incredible"

According to The Orange Umbrella Public Interest in Why Can't Sexual Assault Victims Resist? The world is telling women that you've been sexually assaulted, that you're living, that there are three ways to analyze people's reactions in extreme danger from a psychological perspective: fighting, running away, freezing. However, even knowing that fighting or running is a way to protect their actions, very few people are able to make a decision:

"War or escape" is certainly better to protect their behavior, but analysis shows that less than 20% of people are able to do both. Most people's bodies are in a third state, "frozen", where they stand stiffly, motionless and unable to make any physical reactions.

For example, you speak on stage, very nervous, too much pressure, the brain will be a blank, the whole person in a numbstate state, causing you to stand there, a word can not say. In hindsight, you regret it and feel like you could react.

But the "frozen" state is an instinctive reaction when a person is in danger.

Can you stop asking "why" and start saying "we believe in you"?

Karen Dover, the policewoman who pursued the rape years later, contrasted sharply with the detectives who had met Mary Adler earlier. When Karen Dover questioned another rape victim, the girl kept explaining why she didn't tell anyone after the incident and why she forgot to say one of the details, Karen Dover stopped her:

"Hey, you don't have to explain it to me. It's up to you to decide who you choose to tell and when to tell others. I just want to know the facts of the case. 」
"It doesn't matter if we forget to say it, that's why we're here. 」

After the incident, perhaps in addition to a hug and comfort, we all need a person to sincerely say, "I believe you, you do not have to explain any decision with me." 」

Photo: "Difficult, Incredible"

The play is done, and it's not just justice that proves that Mary Adler isn't lying, it saves mary Adler in the real world. The author of the article, Ken Armstrong, received a call from Mary Adler after the album was broadcast, praising the album and saying, "I cried for a long time." 」

Ken Armstrong wrote on Twitter: "For Mary, seeing detectives investigating 1,300 miles away in Colorado, she felt strongly for the first time: "They're like my guardian angels, taking care of me." 』」

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#metoo the two-year anniversary, it is worth our "difficult, believe" film, a detailed reflection of the changes along the way: not seen problems, let us point out, those that have changed, let us continue to go on, and no longer let the victims of sexual assault bear the responsibility, build a better network, to take care of each victim.

Have seen someone on the Internet, because the plot is too heavy, so can not read it in one breath. Perhaps really can see the person, is a breath, you feel the pain of each girl in the play, but also feel that they can not really experience this pain in any case, several times, you and the film's last granny, in the court constantly asked the perpetrator: why me? Which habit made you choose me? What did I do wrong that day?

Several times, you feel the girls in the play feel a strong sense of self-blame, so you know, #metoo story even after two years, still need to continue to say, it has to be told.