I know that people like to pretend that waiting a long time to report these things is out of the ordinary but that is not really the case, it is in fact the norm.
There are lots of reasons why some wait. The most common reason why is the backlash they face when they do come forward. These women have been dragged through the mud and all sorts of accusation have been made against them (just look at this thread). Communities often rally around the accused and ostracized the accusers. That is a hard thing to live with, especially when one is young and unestablished. The first woman to come out, the one that was 14, said she didn't come forward sooner because her children were still in school and didn't want them to face the backlash that she is now facing. That seems a pretty legit concern to me, as a parent.
NOT if you are the parent of a child who was sexually attacked or molested. For the victim, perhaps, but if the mother knew about this all of those years ago? Inexcusable.
you think it's easy to go up against a powerful man?
Easy? When it comes to someone attacking my child, that is not something that would cross my mind. I would file a complaint immediately. You wouldn't? Oh forget it honey, he is TOO powerful.
That is an easy thing to say sitting behind your computer never having experienced it.
I don't have to have experienced it to know what I would do if my daughter was sexually assaulted.
riiiiiiiight... in a small town where the guy in question is local law enforcement.
it's easy to talk about what you'd do if it isn't you and there are no repurcussions. maybe she just said "stay the hell away from her from now on" and went on with her life because she didn't want a child to have to take the stand in a case where the accused probably controlled the prosecution anyway.
just saying.