…says trying to skillfully blame victims inexcusable

HISTORIAN Dr Melissa Ifill has condemned former executive of The Citizens Initiative (TCI), Ruel Johnson, over a statement he issued regarding sexual violence claims by his ex-girlfriends.

Dr Ifill, in a letter, said she is disgusted that a “grown man who admitted a ‘fling’ with a child would then try to skillfully blame the child for his inexcusable, sickening predatory behaviour.”

She said that she could not make it to read the entire statement Johnson issued on the matter. “I couldn’t make it to the end. I was disgusted that a grown man who admitted a ‘fling’ with a child would then try to skillfully blame the child for his inexcusable, sickening predatory behaviour. No! You will not come out of this scandal with any assumed reputation intact! You sir are pathetic! Any grown man who can only find intellectual and sexual stimulation from a child is both pathetic and abusive! Your attempts to gloss over the abuse by ‘blaming’ your self-described ‘intellect’ and the victims’ mental state are pathetic! More hilarious, in every statement you make, you exhibit all the classic symptoms of predators and abusers as Akola Thompson so well expected and articulated,” Dr Ifill said.

According to her the “fake contriteness while at the same time offering excuses for the sickening behaviour and blaming the victims, while painting these women as all unstable – is typical of abusers.” “It is my view that Ruel Johnson is a predator and an abuser and fortunately for him, his other victims are unwilling to come forward at this time and it is not my place to tell their stories of abuse but understand that your sickening conduct has long been well known. All the people congratulating this sick man for that pathetic statement are as much a part of the culture of rape, abuse, predation and misogyny as he is,” Dr Ifill wrote.

Johnson in his statement admitted to some of the accusations levelled against him by two of his former girlfriends but denies that he is guilty of physical abuse, statutory rape or grooming. He has admitted that he does have behavioural problems and will be seeking counselling for help. In light of the recent accusations, though The Citizen Initiative (TCI) has let go of Johnson as their Co-founder and Executive, it appears that he will keep his job at the Kaieteur News as he is now taking steps to meet with female staff individually at the media entity to ascertain whether he has wronged them in any way.

He said that since accusations were made against him he was advised by his friends to remain silent but he has decided to respond in light of the public engagement on the issue. However, in his response, Johnson distanced himself from some of the remarks made by his ex-girlfriends, Youth Activist and Stabroek News Columnist, Akola Thompson, who broke the silence on the alleged abuse, and Sinah Kloss, a German woman who also accused the Sub-Editor of ill treatment.

Johnson said that Thompson’s account of their relationship was “largely and deliberately fictitious” and was made up of information contradicted by public and private record. “Ms. Thompson has made very specific accusations of what amounts to allegations of criminal activity on my part. I invite her to press charges and believe that she should be given whatever genuine support she can in that regard. For the record, as much as I am against her false portrayal of events, I equally condemn any attempts to slander or shame her or any woman who comes forward with any story,” Johnson said.

Regarding Kloss, he said that the woman’s account of her “burnout” phase due to studies and a dying father was used to seek attention. While he admitted to her account of him spitting at her, he denied manipulation and physical conflict. Johnson said: “What she describes as ‘burnout’ was a phase, in finishing her PhD, in which, among other things, she threatened to throw herself from my balcony and make it appear as if I had pushed her, because I was not paying enough attention to her. What she describes as ‘spitting’ is a singular incident in which, as I was lying down, she came over me, held my hands and screamed in my face that I should pay attention to her. Not wanting to physically remove her, yes, I spat at her, something I regretted doing the moment I did it. I ended the relationship after that. More than once, for the avoidance of conflict, I was forced to stay away from a place I frequented due to her turning up there.”