#BeenRapedNeverReported hashtag trending, as women share stories of assault

After several women came forward in the press with allegations of violent encounters with former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi, some have been asking why these women haven't reported their allegations to the police.

Only two of the nine women who have come forward have offered to give their names and to detail what happened. The rest refused to reveal their names to the public, citing fear that they would be sued or that they would become the object of Internet retaliation. None has filed a police complaint.

Canadian actress Lucy DeCoutere has said she didn't go to police because she believed the case would come down to his word against hers. She suggested she feared that police would ask her why she had put herself in that position, to be in the house of a man she didn't know well, and that they would think she had too many holes in her story.

Ghomeshi is not facing rape or assault charges and none of the allegations have been proven in court. The former radio host has maintained that all of his physical relationships with women have been consensual.

Twitter began helping to answer the question of why women don't report assaults on Thursday night with the hashtag #BeenRapedNeverReported, which quickly began trending.

Toronto journalist Antonia Zerbisias was the first to use the tag after she says she had a conversation on Facebook with fellow journalist Sue Montgomery, who also detailed assaults against her.

Warning: Some readers may find these stories disturbing.

YWCA Canada shared a graphic earlier this week that reported that out of every 1,000 sexual assaults in Canada each year, only 33 are reported to the police, charges are laid in 12, and only six go on to be prosecuted.

Post by YWCA Canada.