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Dr. Christine Blasey Ford faces death threats after conclusion of SCOTUS saga

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WVU chapter.

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has not been able to return home after opening up about her sexual assault.

It has been two weeks since Ford testified against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and she and her family are still not safe in their California home.

Kavanaugh has since been confirmed to the Supreme Court.

For Ford, the aftermath of the hearing has not been as lucky. Ford has been mocked by the president and has faced consistent death threats from opposing individuals.

On MSNBC, Ford’s attorney discussed the distressing realities of coming out as a sexual assault victim in America. She described the threats directed to Ford as “unending.”

“This has been terrifying,” attorney Debra Katz said. “Her family has been through a lot.”

She added that they will not be able to go home for “quite some time.”

Prefacing the court hearing, Ford wrote a letter sent to Senator Dianne Feinstein where she described what happened between her, Kavanaugh and another confidential party back in 1982.

An excerpt from the redacted letter read, “Kavanaugh was on top of me while laughing with [REDACTED], who periodically jumped onto Kavanaugh. They both laughed as Kavanaugh tried to disrobe me in their highly-inebriated state. With Kavanaugh’s hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me.”

These allegations were not enough in the face of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

There is something to be said here about the country’s priorities– Ford felt unsafe by the power of her alleged abuser and decided it was her duty to speak up. Her testimony was meant to protect the American people. America’s reaction has consequently made her feel more unsafe.  Tweet us your thoughts @HerCampusWVU.

Olivia Gianettino is a freshman honors journalism student at West Virginia University. Besides writing, she loves playing the banjo, making crafts and doing yoga. She is a year-round Halloween enthusiast and sports a pair of yellow Crocs everywhere she goes.
Maura is a senior at West Virginia University, studying honors journalism and leadership. She was the president of Her Campus at WVU from 2018-2019, interns with ESPN College GameDay and works as a marketing/communication assistant for the Reed College of Media. On campus, she has written opinion for WVU's Daily Athenaeum, served as the PR chair for WVU Society of Professional Journalists and was a reporter for WVUToday. She teaches leadership classes for the Honors College and is an active member of both the Honors Student Association and Helvetia Honorary. Maura is an avid fan of The New Yorker, (most) cities and the first half of late-night talk shows.