This lawyer is fighting defamation lawsuits that can silence sexual assault victims
NPRThis lawyer is fighting defamation lawsuits that can silence sexual assault victims toggle caption Mike Blout/Victoria Burke Editor's note: The following story deals with the topic of sexual assault. Sponsor Message Since learning about this, Burke, an attorney and professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, says she's decided to use her legal skills and her assault as motivation to protect victims of assault, abuse and harassment from retaliatory defamation lawsuits. toggle caption Damian Dovarganes/AP The threat lingers over victims Since learning about the trend of defamation lawsuits being filed against accusers, Burke has drafted legislative language that would prohibit a person accused of sexual misconduct, abuse, harassment or domestic violence from using a defamation lawsuit to silence or retaliate against a victim. Many states with anti-SLAPP laws don't expressly protect victims of sexual assault, abuse or discrimination — leaving them open to defamation lawsuits from their attackers, according to Burke.
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