Fairfax Accuser: ‘Despite Every Attempt To Shame Me, I Am Not Ashamed’

RICHMOND, VA - FEBRUARY 4: Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) talks with the press to address and deny a sex assault allegation from 2004 in the State Capitol February 04, 2019 in Richmond, VA. He denies . (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)
RICHMOND, VA - FEBRUARY 4: Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) talks with the press to address and deny a sex assault allegation from 2004 in the State Capitol February 04, 2019 in Richmond, VA. He denies . (Phot... RICHMOND, VA - FEBRUARY 4: Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) talks with the press to address and deny a sex assault allegation from 2004 in the State Capitol February 04, 2019 in Richmond, VA. He denies . (Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Meredith Watson, one of the women who has accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) of sexual assault, wrote a piece in the Washington Post Monday describing the harrowing and traumatic experience of coming forward with her allegation and being smeared, ignored and taken advantage of.

“Despite the professed belief of numerous elected officials in Virginia and elsewhere that Vanessa Tyson, who says that Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004, and I have brought forward credible allegations, the Virginia General Assembly has not taken the simple and responsible step of arranging the thorough public hearing that we have sought,” she wrote. “This is how the culture of sexual assault, harassment and the disempowerment of women persists.”

“I told my story, and in a single week my life was probed, exposed, examined and picked over,” she continued. “This is what women who come forward know to expect, and to fear. Few rape victims do come forward. The rapists shake free what soon becomes just a slight taint, and they move on.”

“Despite every attempt to shame me, I am not ashamed,” she said. “It is Justin Fairfax who should be ashamed. It is the Virginia legislature that should be ashamed. And it is the media that should be ashamed.”

Watson accuses Fairfax of raping her while they were both students at Duke University in 2000. She came forward after Vanessa Tyson accused Fairfax of sexually assaulting her at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Fairfax denies the charges and insists that he will not step down.

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  1. And, everyone always questions why it takes women so long to come forward with what happened to them. Here’s an example and would you want to put yourself through this? This is why they don’t come forward.

  2. Meredith Watson, one of the women who has accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) of sexual assault

    Meredith Watson, one of the women who has have accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) of sexual assault

  3. Avatar for marknc marknc says:

    You know (and I am WELL AWARE that I could be wrong), in the day and age of Republicans ratfucking EVERYTHING - you have to wonder if this isn’t retaliation for Kavanaugh. Who knows, maybe it did happen and maybe he is guilty as charged, but apparently there are no witnesses from 2004 and she didn’t mention this until recently?

    Is there anyone, anywhere that backs her story up?

  4. Ms. Watson is the one from 2000. Allegedly told witnesses right after, so there should be more to this case.

    Should be an easy one to go to law enforcement with to investigate, interview the witnesses and so, but Ms. Watson explicitly doesn’t want to go that route.

  5. Do you really, REALLY believe that she would have made this up? Do you not believe that she is telling the truth about what has happened to her since she came forward? Do you not think that she knew that that would happen?

    Take your head out of the sand, friend.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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