A few weeks ago, a lawyer posted on Facebook, saying she had worked on a case in which an obstetrician was accused of sexually assaulting one of his patients. The lawyer suspected there might be other patients who had been abused by the doctor and urged them to come forward.
Several patients did respond, speaking out about their experiences of sexual assault at the same clinic. However, the more the accounts piled up against the doctor, the more the patients received hostile comments. People questioned why these women were deciding to speak up now, when the incident had happened months ago. Some accused them of being motivated by money.
It is important to stress that the case isn't yet over and the accused must be legally presumed innocent until he can be proved otherwise. Nevertheless, the case reminds me of the recent sports scandal in the US involving Larry Nassar. In 2016, Nassar, the gymnastics national team doctor, was accused of molesting at least 250 girls, including a number of prominent Olympics gymnasts. An osteopathic practitioner, Nassar was reported to have admitted that, as a doctor, he was in a position of authority over this victims. He used this position to coerce them into sexual acts against their will.
This year, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison.
In interviews with media, the athletes said they didn't speak out about the molestation sooner because they were very young when it happened. Some said they thought it was a part of the medical examinations. Many were in severe pain due to the intensity of their training and trusted that their doctor could help them recover. Nassar typically treated them in private.
The two cases share some similarities. Not everyone would realise that certain behaviour by a doctor might not be part of the treatment. This can be especially true if it involves a gynaecologist, whose job involves examining the breasts and vagina. We can safeguard against this by insisting a third person is also in the treatment room (this should be a woman in gynaecological cases), as required by the code of conduct.
But the most difficult thing is speaking up. In the aforementioned Thai case, the lawyer said the patient initially didn't want to come forward because she was unsure whether it was really sexual assault. She also felt too ashamed and embarrassed to tell anyone. She only decided to come forward when she found somebody who actually listened to her and encouraged her to stand up for herself.
There are countless obstacles that women face in their attempts to speak out about their experiences of sexual assault. Many don't get support, even from their loved ones. In many cases, the victims are accused of making things up. One of the American gymnasts told her parents that she had been molested. They called her a liar and told her to apologise to the doctor. This tore her family apart, as she realised she could not trust her own parents. She was 12 years old at the time.
Many women must fight against an oppressive culture in order to make their voices heard. The US gymnast scandal was the accumulation of more than two decades of abuse by Nassar. Finally, in the midst of the international #MeToo movement, two former gymnasts were courageous enough to speak out about Nassar's misconduct. This suddenly opened the floodgates, with hundreds more feeling empowered to talk about their own experiences. Many of the gymnasts reported that the environment at the national training camps was "emotionally abusive". There was a culture of silence and being told what to do. Everyone was afraid to speak out.
The environment at the gymnastic camps has similarities with Thai society. Thai culture has always struggled with giving women a voice and agency. That's why the patients who were abused by their doctor chose to keep quiet for so long. It's always difficult for women to come forward about sexual assault. It's shaming and embarrassing. Many women have been conditioned to feel that it is partly their fault. Many are afraid they won't be believed. And their fears are all too often justified. How many times has a woman come forward about sexual abuse, only to be called a liar or a slut? Little wonder that most cases of rape and sexual assault go unreported.
Victimised women would be more likely to speak out if they felt they would be listened to without prejudice or judgment. When the first patient confronted the doctor, others then came forward to say, "Me too". So let their voices be heard.
Suwitcha Chaiyong is a feature writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.