My blogger friend, Kate Kresse, from ‘Believe Anyway’, says in her recent blog that it is nearly impossible to win a court case on sexual assault charges. She says sexual assault involves intimidation or feeling intimidated, and unwanted touching. She says: ” Why do they continue the intimidation by minimizing her feelings, doubting her word, or saying that the event was her fault. Why do they try to intimidate and ostracize her if she does file a complaint?”

When I read Kate’s blog I was reminded of what it was like for me as a teenager. I described to Kate how I fared at around 1949 in Berlin, Germany. I made the following comment: “When I was a young teenager, I could not imagine a guy would behave in such a way. I remember one morning walking to school with my friend Cordula. A guy who was definitely a few years older than we were approached us with a note. First I thought he wanted to give it to Cordula, but he straight away insisted that it was intended for me. He said he had seen us walking to school before and he would like to get to know me. After he went his ways I read the note. It was an invitation to a card game night with him as well as his friend and the friend’s girlfriend. The three of them were playing Skat, which is a very popular game in Germany. Just about everyone knows how to play this game. I actually knew the game quite well. It is played with three people. When there are four people, one person at a time has to miss out on one game, which works out well indeed. No guy in my whole life had ever wanted me to be his girlfriend. Lots of girls in my class had boyfriends. I went to an all girls school. So I didn’t know how on earth I would ever get a chance to get to know a boy or young man. I thought this was my chance. However meeting this guy involved going to his place. He had give me his address.
Naturally I could not go there without telling my mother first where I planned on going. However when I told my mother about this card-night, she immediately smelled a rat. I was strictly forbidden to go to this guy’s place. And that was it. I never saw him again. Admittedly I was still very young. However my mother’s instincts alerted me. I was inclined to be very naive and trusting. But having such a suspicious mother stopped me from doing anything against her will.
Maybe I have to thank her for never having had a bad experience the way this girl in your blog must have had. Thanks, Kate, for pointing this out, that there are guys who do not show any consideration towards a girl’s feelings. Do you think my mother was right in being very suspicious?”