Warning: this post discusses sexual assault.
Australian author and social commentator Jane Caro spoke out about the sexual abuse she encountered as a young woman in her 20s, and the shame she says she carried around with her about the occurrence as a result.
“I never complained about it. I never reported what happened. I never even told anyone what happened for years. And every time I thought about it I went hot with shame,” she said on Wednesday’s edition of The Drum.
According to Caro, the incident occurred when she went to a male doctor to have an IUD fitted, something that she says, "as any woman who's had one will know, it's quite a painful procedure."
Moaning at the pain, the doctor said that rubbing the clitoris was known to make the pain subside, and so, "proceeded to do that."
"I just froze," Caro said. "I was in this situation where in my head was this litany of things like, what's he doing? He's the doctor. Is that right? Oh, I'm so humiliated; I don't want him to do this. This is so awful. It took me ages to actually move and do anything and then I somehow managed to sit up, brush his hand away and get myself to rights."
Top Comments
I went to a chiropractor when I was 18 and he touched my breasts. I wanted to run away but I got dressed, made pleasantries with the receptionist and never went back or told anyone. About 3 years later he was in the news and banned from practicing for inappropriate touching a patient. I felt sick and guilty at the same time.