The Victim's Burden

July 22, 2003

By Kristine Lam

 

For the past two weeks, the sports nation has been following the case of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and the "next Michael Jordan." This title was bestowed upon Mr. Bryant because of his excellence on the basketball court as well as his seeming maturity, clean image and charisma off of it. Sports writers and fans across the nation could not attach this title to just anyone afterall. Allen Iverson, an amazing player in his own right, lacks the clean image while Tim Duncan, the two-time NBA MVP, does not possess the charisma, charm and elegance of Kobe Bryant. Now Kobe Bryant's future is in question as he was officially charged with felony sexual assault in Colorado today.

 

As a female and as a sports fan, the greatest disappointment was not that one of the NBA's superstars was charged with a crime as well as a moral faux pas. No, athletes acting against my moral standards have no longer shocked me. Actually, I have now come to believe that most athletes just are not that morally sound. The erosion of my faith started when the lovable Michael Jordan admitted to having an extramarital affair and separated from his wife (two events years apart from the other, yet still shocking to my naïve mind) and completely disappeared when a handful of Notre Dame football players were accused of raping a student. The greatest disappointment in the whole Kobe Bryant scandal is how Kobe, his team, and the media have handled this charge.

 

The term "felony sexual assault" does not even come close to illustrating the horrible crime of rape. At its worst, rape brings up horrible images such as that from My Lai of the Vietnam War, when a group of soldiers went insane and raped a village of women, then killed them. Rape is a violent crime, intending, not only to violate the woman's body, but also to steal away any of the victim's self-respect and dignity. Therefore, accusing one of rape is a severe charge, meant to be taken seriously, much more seriously than any statement or column I have read.

 

Instead of taking this charge as seriously as it needs to be taken, many people have instead worked to discredit the victim and question her motives. This woman did everything right, everything a rape victim is supposed to do after the crime. She went to the doctor's office the very next day and reported it immediately. She didn't wait until it was too late to get physical evidence. She didn't first approach Kobe Bryant and ask for money. And because she did what she was supposed to do, she is labeled a gold-digger. I have even heard people say that because she went up to his room, she was asking for it and that because she was an employee at the resort, she acted inappropriately. Rape should never be the victim's fault. Whether these allegations against Kobe Bryant are true or false, this woman's life will never be the same again.

 

With these comments, it is not difficult to assess why many rape victims do not come forward earlier. I have read stories when victims of sexual assault who come forward are put in a precarious situation. More often than not, these victims have to not only prove that their bodies have been violated, but they also have to defend themselves from attacks about their character. If rape victims in cases that involve celebrities, especially those which the public admires, get vilified by society for doing what every victim of sexual assault is supposed to do, then we cannot expect other rape victims in cases which do not involve a celebrity to do what is best. Each year women of all ages, races, class, and education levels get sexually assaulted. The last thing we, as a society, want these women to feel is that this heinous crime is their fault or that they would not receive justice under the law. I am not saying that Kobe is guilty of rape, nor am I saying he is innocent. Only two people know what happened that night. However, I am giving this woman the benefit of the doubt, the same benefit that many are so quick to give Kobe Bryant, because all victims deserve such.