By: A Survivor Not a Victim
April 18, 2016
The rapist that I formally lived with is still on my lease. I have had no luck so far in finding a new roommate (it must just be the time of year, as I have never had such a hard time before). I (we, but I got his too) have been served a ten-day notice to quit for the unpaid rent of the rapist for the month of April. March was taken care of by his last month’s rent that he gave upfront. He has told my landlord that since he is not living at the residence, he does not feel he needs to pay).
Well, that is not the way the law works! He is still responsible for rent, and so am I. Unfortunately, if the amount is not paid, the eviction process will start, and if I am evicted, that will affect us both. I want to stay here, so I am dammed if I do and dammed if I don’t. I have a flawless rental record; I do not want it to be destroyed because of him, but I do not have the money to pay the entire rent. I plan on taking him to court to get all the money this month and any other months that there might be with no one living here, but that will take time. I don’t know what I am going to do?! I also plan to take him to civil court for the rape. He should be held accountable for his actions, and I feel like I am never going to be able to move on until that happens; even if it isn’t criminal, at least it is something, and I am not just sitting here letting him get away with rape. His actions are repulsive! Now, I am under additional financial stress because of him. He says this is not “fair” about paying rent. Well, it isn’t fair that he raped me. He signed the lease; he is on it until he is removed. Again, this is him avoiding responsibility for his actions, and this is what all rapists do! It needs to stop! Who knows how many other women he has done this to, and if he isn’t stopped or deterred in some manner, who knows how many will be next?
I am so depressed and frustrated, and some days, I feel like giving up. But then I remind myself that I can’t. I can’t for me, I can’t for his most likely past victims, and I really can’t for his potential future victims. I don’t believe that people who rape only do it once. Sure, maybe it has happened in a very few cases, but in general, these disgusting individuals are repeat offenders. And they are going to do it again. I mean, upon reflecting on that evening, this disgusting excuse for a human groomed me all night! It was surely not his first offense.
I really hope things start to turn around soon. It is like he keeps coming out on top, and I keep coming out on the bottom. Why does the rapist always seem to win?
A Survivor Not a Victim 