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Following an ad campaign that accidentally revealed the identity of more than 100 survivors of sexual assault, Senator Heidi Heitkamp could be prosecuted for apparently violating women's right to privacy. private life. In addition to releasing some survivors without their consent, a woman wrote on Facebook that some of those listed had in fact been wrongly identified as victims of sexual assault. Bustle solicited comments from Heitkamp.
"The political agenda of Heidi Heitkamp disrupted or downright ruined our lives," wrote the woman, whose signature appeared in the advertisement. "Victims of aggression who had taken care to avoid the subject were suddenly bombarded with questions asking them to explain to their loved ones why their name was on this list. have never been assaulted have spent the day reassuring their loved ones about their safety.All of us have been disturbed by the fact that our names and places have been publicly announced. "
The publicity campaign, for which Heitkamp apologized on Tuesday, aimed to condemn his opponent, Rep. Kevin Cramer, who suggested last week that the #MeToo move was useless. Following the publication of North Dakota newspaper ads on Monday, several women came forward to say that they had not given their permission to appear among the signatories.
"I'm furious," a North Dakota woman named in the letter told The Associated Press. "I shared my story only with a few confident people … I did not want it to be glaring for the whole world." She added that she was planning to vote for Heitkamp next month, but will not "certainly not now."
"I do not think anyone is perfect in the world and sometimes when you're on a big stage, you can make big mistakes," Heitkamp said in an interview. "And I think our campaign has made a big mistake and we need to own and fix it." Late Tuesday, his campaign announced the dismissal of a staff member allegedly responsible for collecting the names of the ad. Heitkamp also issued a press release assuring concerned persons that she and her team were about to publish a retraction of the letter, as well as "personally apologizing to each of those affected by this situation and taking the necessary measures to ensure that this never happens. " again."
Despite Heitkamp's efforts to be forgiven, some of the named women are considering legal action to remedy the situation. The woman who posted on Facebook made reference to Marsy's law, part of the state constitution of North Dakota, which protects victims of crimes from disclosure of information. identification, in his argumentation. "Our privacy was violated that day and we deserve to be closed," she wrote. "In order to benefit from the fence we need, we are looking for a lawyer to take care of our case, we need our own voice, and the women in Heitkamp advertising are looking for a competent legal shelter."
Heitkamp, the Democratic incumbent in a race in the Senate that seems increasingly difficult to win, did not seem to care about the legal implications of his apology. "Some people who are lawyers would say that the worst thing you can do if you're worried about lawsuits is to recognize your guilt or negligence, and I admit it right here," she said. of his interview. "It's a very blatant mistake of the campaign and I own it."
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