Crossroads of Injustices

Dr. Mandi Gray’s book, Suing for Silence, critically examines how abusive men can use defamation lawsuits as a weapon against anyone who attempts to hold them accountable. In Canada, formal reports to the police or other institutions such as universities are not protected from lawsuits for defamation or malicious prosecution. Advocates and lawyers who specialize in sexual violence have noted a rise in the use of civil legal action by men accused of sexual violence within the last decade.

In this talk – titled "The Crossroads of Injustices: The intersection of criminal & civil law in defamation cases against survivors of sexual violence" – Dr. Gray will examine critical feminist perspective to explain how the failure for institutions such as police and the courts to respond to reports of sexual violence can make survivors and their supporters vulnerable to retaliatory lawsuits. She argues that if these lawsuits are to continue, we will risk witnessing the disappearance of sexual violence discourse and is yet another barrier to consider before making a formal report.