Earlier this week, Sean Combs, better known as “Diddy,” He was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.Combs, like all of the defendants, is considered innocent, but the allegations are damning. Beyond the abuses allegedly perpetrated by Combs personally, the indictment alleges that he relied on a network of employees and other close associates to facilitate and cover up his predatory acts. The group allegedly thrived by demanding absolute loyalty and promoting Combs’ power, reputation and brand.
As damning as they are, the accusations are not particularly surprising. After all, rumors have been circulating for some time about Combs' potentially criminal conductAnd he’s not alone. Time and again, the rich and famous have been accused of abusing their victims in plain sight — and often relying on others to perpetrate and cover up the abuse, sometimes for decades. Bill Cosby. R. Kelly. Harvey Weinstein. Their power remained unchecked. Their popularity, intact.
In Combs' case, authorities acted quickly after the allegations surfaced. In March, National Security agents searched their mansions In Los Angeles and Miami, as part of the investigation that led to this week's indictment, immediate intervention by law enforcement may be the only real way to stop the abuse.
Without it, the cycle can be self-reinforcing. Abusers use their power and networks to prevent their victims from speaking out, either through explicit threats or indirectly, exploiting a natural fear of their influence. As the public and law enforcement ignore rumors, the barriers to speaking out only grow, increasing the sense of invincibility that emboldens abusers.
Consider R. Kelly. The first evidence of his abuse of underage girls emerged in 1994, when a copy of his marriage certificate to Aaliyah, then 15, was leaked to the press. Similar rumours circulated for years, but he faced no consequences until a video leaked in 2002 of Kelly and an apparently underage girl having sex. But while his criminal trial, which ultimately led to his acquittal, was ongoing, his biggest hits were released and he continued to fill concert halls.
Public adulation in the face of persistent rumors deepened the cycle of abuse. In 2017, parents of alleged victims alleged Kelly ran a cult and subjected children to physical and sexual abuse. Still, nothing happened, even when another victim came forward in 2017 to allege Kelly had abused her as a minor and provided a wealth of evidence supporting her story. Law enforcement filed the evidence away, only to be opened years later when the documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly” premiered in 2019.
There is no shortage of culprits in cycles of abuse like Kelly’s (and allegedly Combs’). These include entourages who do the bidding of powerful men to get money and be close to fame and success. But also fans who look the other way and continue to support alleged abusers by buying their media and products. It’s worse when those fans mercilessly harass victims who speak out against their idols, often calling them gold diggers and whores. The blame extends to media outlets that report too late or not at all and, most importantly, law enforcement, who do little or nothing when women find the courage to speak out.
The reckoning, at least in the form of criminal charges, has begun, though convictions remain elusive in many cases. With the advent of the #MeToo movement, media outlets sought out the accounts of women abused by powerful men, with some women gaining confidence to speak out, while others reported the same or similar conduct by their abusers. Legislation like New York’s Adult Survivors Act and California’s Sexual Abuse Liability and Cover-Up Act has empowered victims to file lawsuits against their abusers long after the abuse. And federal prosecutors have begun to rely on racketeering law, which allows them to present the full range of criminal conduct over decades rather than isolated incidents.
While blame is shared among many, the responsibility for doing right falls on law enforcement, and it cannot just be federal law enforcement. In the future, when women and men report sexual abuse, all law enforcement agencies must listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and act quickly, as they appear to have done with the most recent allegations against Combs.
Elizabeth Geddes She co-founded a law firm that represents victims in their pursuit of civil remedies against powerful men. She and her business partner led the investigation and prosecution of R. Kelly, who was convicted of racketeering and related crimes.
