As expected, a Judge on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas sentenced Ariel Castro to life in prison this week. It’s likely the last we’ll hear from Castro ever again. Most of us will soon relegate him and his horrible crimes to the recesses of our minds. But his victims won’t. For the rest of their lives, they will cope with the emotional scars left by his decade of sexual assault and psychological torture.
It’s not just common sense that tells us Castro’s victims have a long road to recovery. It’s professional experience. We have had the honor of representing numerous victims of workplace sexual assault, including cases of workplace rape. Aside from being criminal, such conduct is of course illegal sexual harassment. Even when charges are not filed, the harassment often has devastating emotional effects. Feelings of shame and anger, a loss of self-esteem, and an ever-present sense of vulnerability are all common reactions for victims of workplace sexual harassment. Sadly, it is also common for victims to feel they are somehow to blame. Unfortunately, some of these same feelings — while perfectly understandable — often keep victims from coming forward. But failing to report the sexual harassment only leads to more harassment and emotional harm.
Sexual predators don’t stop until someone makes them. Castro would have continued to enslave and torture his victims but for their fortunate escape. A chilling and real possibility is that he might have found and captured more victims. An analogy can be easily drawn to workplace sexual harassers. They will continue harassing a victim until someone makes them stop. Even then, a harasser may simply move on to a next victim. The behavior usually stops for good only when it is brought to light and somebody intervenes.
Sexual harassment has devastating emotional consequences on its victims. The Castro case underscores how important it is to stop sexual predators right away. It’s the only way to limit the lasting damage on the victims.
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