Earlier this week, Sean Combs, better known as “Diddy,” He was indicted by a federal grand jury on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.. Combs, like all of the defendants, is presumed innocent, but the charges are damning. In addition to the abuse Combs allegedly committed personally, the indictment alleges that he relied on a network of employees and other close associates to facilitate and cover up his predation. The group is said to have thrived by demanding absolute loyalty and promoting Combs’ power, reputation and brand.
While damning, the allegations are not particularly surprising. After all, the rumors have been circulating for a long time. Combs’ alleged criminal conductAnd he’s not alone. The rich and famous have been repeatedly accused of abusing their victims in public, often relying on others to carry out and cover up the abuse, sometimes for decades. Bill Cosby. R. Kelly. Harvey Weinstein. Their power remained unchecked. Their popularity unchanged.
In the Combs case, authorities acted quickly after the allegations surfaced. In March, Internal security agents searched their apartments. in Los Angeles and Miami as part of the investigation that led to this week’s indictment. Prompt intervention by law enforcement agencies may be the only real way to prevent abuses.
Without it, the cycle can become self-regulating. Abusers use their power and networks to prevent their victims from speaking out, either through overt threats or indirect threats, out of a natural fear of being exposed. When the public and law enforcement ignore rumors, the barriers to speaking out only increase, fueling the sense of invincibility that emboldens abusers.
r. Consider Kelly. Evidence of his abuse of underage girls first came to light in 1994, when a copy of his marriage certificate to 15-year-old Aaliya was leaked to the press. Rumors circulated for years, but he faced no consequences until a video surfaced of Kelly and an apparently underage girl having sex in 2002. But while his criminal case dragged on — and he was eventually acquitted — his greatest hits were played and he continued to fill concert halls.
Public awareness, coupled with constant rumors, increased the circulation of the abuse. Beginning in 2017, parents of alleged victims made reports that Kelly operated a cult and physically and sexually abused children. However, nothing came of it, even when another victim reported in 2017 that Kelly sexually abused her as a minor and provided ample evidence to back up her account. Authorities stuffed the evidence away in a closet, only to be discovered years later when the R. Kelly Survivor documents were released in 2019.
For cycles of abuse like Kelly’s and allegedly Combs’, there is no downside. It includes those around them who cater to powerful men’s desire for money and proximity to fame and success. But it is shared by fans who look the other way and support would-be abusers by buying their media and merchandise. It is worse when those fans brutally persecute victims who speak out against their idols and often call them gold diggers and whores. It does no good to blame the media for reporting late or not reporting at all and, more importantly, the law enforcement agencies that do nothing when women have the courage to speak out.
Reporting has begun, at least in the form of criminal charges, though in many cases convictions are still unknown. With the rise of the #MeToo movement, the media sought out accounts from women who had been abused by powerful men, with some women gaining confidence to speak out, while others reported the same or similar behavior as their abusers. Legislation like New York’s Adult Survivors Act and California’s Sexual Assault and Liability Coverage Act have given victims the power to file lawsuits against their abusers after years of abuse. And federal prosecutors have relied on the racketeering statute, which allows them to bring forward not just single incidents but the full set of criminal conduct spanning decades.
While blame is shared among many, the responsibility to act lies squarely with law enforcement, and cannot be just federal law enforcement. In the future, when women and men report sexual assault, all law enforcement agencies must listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and act quickly, as they appear to have done with the latest allegations against Combs.
Elizabeth Geddes He founded a law firm that represents victims seeking civil redress against powerful men. He and his business partner led the investigation and prosecution of R. Kelly, who was convicted of racketeering and related crimes.
