9 Jun 2026 10:00
463. Doubting Accusers; Protecting Abusers
When a survivor speaks up, the world too often demands a 'perfect victim' before it offers belief, a painful reality that leaves many wondering if their truth will ever be enough.
In this episode with Deborah Tuerkheimer, author of Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers, we hear about the “credibility complex,” including credibility discount and credibility inflation, rape myths, the “perfect victim” and “monster abuser” archetypes, and how victim-blaming and disbelief are reinforced by culture and legal rules.
You’ll also learn about underreporting, the “second assault,” trauma-informed investigation, expert testimony on trauma dynamics, and how loved ones can respond supportively when someone discloses abuse. Listen in to understand why credibility judgments are patterned and how believing, validating, and offering help can change what happens next.
Listen and Learn:
- The credibility complex and how social power dynamics cause the credibility of marginalized individuals to be discounted while powerful individuals receive an inflated boost
- Why society perpetuates rape myths and victim-blaming
- How the "perfect victim" myth is weaponized against survivors in the legal system
- How institutional disbelief and victim-blaming are systemic realities baked into the penal code
- Why cultural tropes and a deep-seated "care gap" cause society to minimize astronomical statistics, overstate the prevalence of false reports, and prioritize the futures of perpetrators over the lives of victims
- How the cultural myth of the "monster abuser" prevents fair credibility judgments by creating a false archetype of a deviant stranger
- How the justice system creates an institutional imbalance by weaponizing an accuser's personal history while shielding a perpetrator’s past behavior
- How physical attractiveness acts as a "Goldilocks" trap for victims' credibility
- Why true progress relies on upending a systemic culture of impunity rather than relying solely on institutional training
Resources:
- Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9780063002760
- Deborah’s Website: https://www.deborahtuerkheimer.com
About Deborah Tuerkheimer
Deborah Tuerkheimer is a professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. She earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and her law degree from Yale Law School. Tuerkheimer served for five years as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office, where she specialized in domestic violence and child abuse prosecution. She teaches and writes in the areas of criminal law, evidence, and feminist legal theory. She is also the author of CREDIBLE: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers (Harper Wave/HarperCollins).
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