Johannesburg - A rape-survivor activist has slammed writer David Bullard for his comments that she lied about being raped.
On Monday, a war of words erupted on Twitter between Michelle Solomon, a court reporter and rape activist, and Bullard which continued until Wednesday.
“Face facts Mish (Michelle). You got horribly drunk, had a bonk, regretted it in the morning and called it rape to protect your reputation,” Bullard tweeted on Monday, in just one of several messages directed at Solomon.
Solomon slammed Bullard’s comments and said he was undermining rape victims. “He’s clearly trying to undermine my credibility and doing it for kicks.”
Solomon said she was raped in 2010 by the ex-boyfriend of her best friend. She said she didn’t report the case out of fear of hurting her friend, of questions why she didn’t report it sooner and fear that she wouldn’t be believed as she had been drinking.
“She’s lied before so she has form. But lay the charge and let’s have some real fun in court,” Bullard tweeted at 10.30am on Wednesday.
But Solomon asked what she would have to gain by lying about such a serious issue, especially since she had been insulted over it.
“That is my prize for being a rape survivor. What is the benefit? I would love to know,” she said.
Bullard also accused Solomon of using Twitter to out her alleged rapist when she asked her followers how they would feel if she did so over the social media site.
“So we’re all agreed then. We should ditch the legal system and allow women to out ‘rapists’ on social media without a shred of evidence,” Bullard tweeted.
“I… had one moment of weakness where I was so angry with my rapist that I wanted to ask the Twitter community,” she said.
She said rape survivors were often blamed more than their rapists.
“Why would you lean towards the fact that this rape didn’t happen when you know that rape is… a scourge?” she asked.
Bullard could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
The Star