A message to everyone except Brittany Higgins

Cancel culture may be noisy, but true accountability remains rare, especially for victims of sexual assault, writes Kate Zarb.

Whenever I hear a conservative whine about “cancel culture,” I have a hard time stopping my eyes from automatically rolling into my skull.

You know the scenario: Someone gets caught doing something disgusting, the story spreads like wildfire on social media, the word “boycott” is trending on Twitter*, and some people will argue with the predictable “it was a different time,” “taken out of context,” and the over-repeated “they’re doing it for attention” claim.

The reason I find this so unbearably banal is because conservatives were the ones who first invented cancel culture. They call it different names: book banning, book burning, witch trials, ostracism. But the methods and purpose were always the same; to control and silence those who challenge the status quo.

Public hoardings often stem from ignorance and herd mentality, but there have been times, even if very few, when large-scale public avoidance would have been good for all of us.

In the first years of the century American War of IndependenceThose loyal to the English King were openly ostracized by their communities. The message was clear: support independence or live elsewhere. In this case, I think Americans would say it’s a net benefit.

Similarly, the recent excommunication of the royal family Andrew Formerly known as Prince, this behavior is a form of social distancing that sends a message to commoners and other royals alike: tarnish the brand and you’re out.

And closer to home, the Australian public appears to have been right in its mass cancellation decision Bruce Lehrmann.

Since the criminal trial was thrown out, two judges made the finding that he did indeed sexually assault Brittany Higgins as he claimed. While trying to “get her hat”, Lehrmann inadvertently gave Ms. Higgins a gift, albeit a meager one. Not only did he confirm his claims, but he also showed the whole country what kind of man he really is.

Nothing will be easy for Bruce Lehrmann from now on. It didn’t have to be this way; If he had taken his miraculous second chance and returned to Texas, his name would have been almost forgotten. But Bruce isn’t just a rapist; he is also vindictive. He didn’t just want to win; He wanted revenge and that was his downfall.

So while Brittany Higgins may never get justice, she will see karma dealt out to the man who changed her life for the worse.

But this is much more than most survivors can see.

The vast majority of sexual assault perpetrators do not face consequences. There are no lost job opportunities or blemishes on their “impressive academic record.” Even in cases where there is sufficient evidence to prosecute and witnesses are credible, violent attackers can damage the reputation and sanity of survivors in court, often convincing juries that there is not enough evidence to convict.

And they’re the only ones going to court.

Thousands of sexual assaults occur every year undeclared or has not been prosecuted in Australia. Sometimes even the most serious officers of the law cannot find enough concrete evidence to secure a conviction. Sometimes the police view the complainant as a nuisance, so survivors (both men and women) often find the process so frightening and traumatic that they are unable to move on.

This last group, the statistically largest, largely chooses to suffer in silence, relying on friends and hopefully professional therapists because it is too scary to seek justice the “right” way.

And often their pessimistic outlook turns out to be justified.

I know people—both men and women—who have been victims of sexual assault and either there wasn’t enough hard evidence or the process was so traumatic that the survivors couldn’t handle it. Attackers will not be publicly avoided or “cancelled.”

That’s why I want to talk to every survivor other than Brittany Higgins and say this: I believe you. So are millions of others. We believe you when you get nervous when a certain name is said. We believe in you when you avoid certain topics, places and people. We believe you when you tell us there are no signs. We believe you when you tell us up front what a Good Person™ your attacker is; Because they are all Good People™ until they feel too safe to be that way.

Just as no fish would swallow a hook if it could see what was under the bait, we would not trust dangerous people who do not go to such lengths to hide their true nature. The facades they create are elaborate, clever and calculated, and you’re not stupid enough to fall for it. They are deceiving most of us.

So if you’ve watched Brittany Higgins’ story (or tried to avoid it) and wished for similar karmic intervention on your attacker, I can’t give it to you.

But what I can say is that if you choose to talk about what they did, I will believe you.

So will millions of us.

*As Elon Musk continues to name transgender people, I will continue to name the website he paid so much money for. I don’t apologize.

Kate Zarb is a jaded Generation X woman who wants the world to be a better place. He has worked in every field, from hospitality to politics, and has used each episode as an opportunity to learn about the world we live in. You can follow Kate on Bluesky. @kathoftarragon.bsky.social.

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