At what expense...

So, forcing a teenager to help law enforcement prosecute a criminal is more important than her own health and well-being. On every front, our society fails first to protect youth from sexual abusers and second to support the survivors in such a way as to not add to their burden. 

That little ground has been gained since the subject came out of the closet decades ago is our shame as a nation. We avoid the topic. We do not train adults to recognize both the signs of abuse and the patterns of abusive behavior. We do not teach children what they should know to help protect themselves and provide a safe and supportive environment so that they can ask for help when needed. Even our churches most often confuse vocations, sending those seeking spiritual care away or trying to hand out to them psychological "helps." 

Across the board, our continued silence protects the abusers and further harms the survivors. And then, such as in this case, we all too often allow "authorities" to run rough-shod over the survivor, ultimately caring more about the abuser than the one who was wounded. It is an enormous act of courage to report sexual abuse. Look how she was "rewarded."