Dr. Amos Guiora speaks at the First Friday Forum, May 6 at 10 a.m. His presentation is titled, Armies of Enablers: Survivor Stories of Complicity and Betrayal in Sexual Assaults.
What do you know about enablers of sexual assaults? Dr. Amos Guiora will discuss this topic in his presentation titled, Armies of Enablers: Survivor Stories of Complicity and Betrayal in Sexual Assaults for First Friday Forum (FFF) May 6 at 10 a.m.
The lecture is based on Guiora’s personal interviews with numerous survivors of sexual assault, from USA Gymnastics, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Ohio State University and the Catholic Church, as well as thousands of pages of grand jury indictments, civil lawsuits, criminal prosecutions and media accounts.
In his recent book, with the same title as his talk, Guiora focuses not on what the sexual predators did, but on how institutions and individuals allowed it to happen.
Guiora will discuss the criminalization of enablers and bystanders, which reflects recognition that failure to prosecute aggressively those who acted by not acting themselves ensures perpetrators will continue to act with impunity and immunity.
“The broader issue cuts to the heart of what society is and to whom it owes a duty,” said Guiora. “In advocating criminalization of enablers and bystanders, we owe a duty to the person in peril. In an institutional setting, the hesitation to criminalize enablers and bystanders who choose to protect an institution, reflects prioritizing the needs of the institution over the needs of the individual.”
A Professor of Law at the University of Utah, Guiora is a distinguished fellow and counselor at the International Center for Conflict Resolution and Chair of the Gymnastics Canada Task Force on Assault.
He’s also a member of the Board of Advisors for Stop Educator Sexual Abuses Misconduct and Exploitation, the leading national voice for the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment of students by teachers and other school staff.
Holding an A.B. in history from Kenyon College, a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and a PhD from Leiden University, Guiora has published extensively on issues related to human rights, national security, limits of interrogation, religion and terrorism, the limits of power and multiculturalism.
He is actively involved in legislative efforts to criminalize bystanders and enablers in the United States and internationally.
Dr. Tom Scovel, a member of the First Friday Forum team, said Guiora’s father, Prof. Alexander Guiora, was one of his important mentors while pursuing his doctorate at the University of Michigan.
Scovel and Guiora have kept in communication, especially concerning their common interest in sports and their strong belief that those who have perpetrated sexual violence against young college athletes should be brought to justice.
“While this is an issue that we might shy away from, it is a subject which deserves our attention,” said Scovel. “Please plan to attend FFF.”
For more information, visit lopc.org/first-friday-forum.
Bobbie Dodson can be reached at bobbiedodson109@gmail.com.
