Abigail Breslin Had A Powerful Response To Commenter Who Said Only Reported Rapes 'Count'

"Unreported rapes count. Reported rapes count. End of story."
Breslin attends a "Scream Queens" event on March 12, 2016.
Breslin attends a "Scream Queens" event on March 12, 2016.
Jason LaVeris via Getty Images

Abigail Breslin just made a poignant statement about why many sexual assaults go unreported.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old actress posted an infographic to Instagram that illustrates the number of rapes that are reported to the police and how many of those reported are actually tried and found guilty.

According to the RAINN infographic, out of every 1,000 rapes, 994 perpetrators will walk free. Only 310 rapes are reported to police per every 1,000, and only six of those assailants will actually be incarcerated.

Breslin posted the photo with the comment “#knowthefacts.”

#knowthefacts.

A post shared by Abigail Breslin (@abbienormal9) on

Later that day, Breslin posted another image on Instagram ― but this time in response to a commenter who wrote: “Reported rapes are the only rapes that count.”

The young actress did not mince words in her powerful response. Breslin explained that she took the comment personally because she was sexually assaulted and didn’t report her abuser.

“I did not report my rape. I didn’t report it because of many reasons,” Breslin’s Instagram post reads. “First off, I was in complete shock and total denial. I didn’t want to view myself as a ‘victim’ so I suppressed it and pretended it never happened.”

Breslin explained that she was in a relationship with her rapist and feared he would retaliate if he found out she was seeking justice. She continued:

I was diagnosed with PTSD a year and a half ago. I have made a lot of progress since the event occurred, but I won’t pretend it isn’t something I struggle with. I still have flashbacks, I still get nightmares, I still jump when somebody touches me unexpectedly, even if it’s my best friend tapping me on the shoulder.

To say that rapes-reported are the only rapes that count, contributes to the ideology that survivors of unreported rape don’t matter. It’s unfair, untrue and unhelpful. It’s like you got a black eye from getting punched in the face, but because you didn’t call the police, you didn’t really get a black eye.

Read Breslin’s full post below.

*trigger warning⚠️*

A post shared by Abigail Breslin (@abbienormal9) on

Breslin summed up her post on a powerful point, writing: “Unreported rapes count. Reported rapes count. End of the story.”

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