The Machinery to Silence – How Abusers Weaponize the System to Bury Victims
In a world where women are persistently encouraged to speak out against toxic and abusive behaviour, the reality of doing so often comes with devastating consequences. Recent revelations by Kate Beckinsale and Blake Lively shed light on how the machine of institutional gaslighting and smear campaigns works to silence women who dare to demand accountability. These high-profile examples echo the experiences of countless women across industries, reminding us that systemic abuse and the silencing of victims remain rampant.
Kate Beckinsale’s harrowing video on Instagram serves as a chilling account of the industry’s capacity to perpetuate and protect abuse. Beckinsale recounts a series of incidents, from being felt up by a trusted crew member at 18, to being forced by a publicist to participate in a photoshoot the day after she suffered a miscarriage. The actress revealed the emotional toll of these abuses and the machine that springs into action to discredit and silence women who speak up. Her testimony aligns with Blake Lively’s recent sexual harassment complaint against Justin Baldoni, further emphasising that this is not an archaic problem but a persistent, contemporary one.
Beckinsale’s stories highlight the gaslighting women endure when they report abusive behaviour. She recounted how, after reporting that a male co-star physically harmed her during a fight scene, she was ostracised by the cast and dismissed as a troublemaker. Despite presenting MRI evidence of her injuries, she faced exclusion and ridicule rather than support. “If you mention it, you’re fucked,” Beckinsale said, encapsulating the fear that keeps many women silent. This fear is further compounded by the smear campaigns that paint victims as the problem. Beckinsale was labelled a “stupid bitch” and a “cunt” simply for calling out a male co-star’s unprofessional behaviour.
The same pattern emerges in other sectors. Jan Cruickshank’s experience with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is another grim example of how powerful entities weaponize systems to silence victims. After being raped by a colleague, Jan was awarded compensation by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, yet police declined to pursue her case. Her employer, CITB, allegedly mounted a campaign to discredit her, painting her as a homewrecker and fabricating a false narrative to force her out of the company. A whistleblower exposed how CITB’s legal team sought to bury the case, prioritising financial liability over justice. Despite the trauma and systemic silencing, Jan’s persistence and the support of SNP MP Seamus Logan have brought critical attention to her case, highlighting the layers of complicity in perpetuating abuse.
These stories highlight the systemic issues that enable abusers while vilifying victims. When institutions protect perpetrators and discredit those who come forward, they create an environment where abuse thrives. The tragic case of Gisele Pelicot is a haunting reminder of the importance of intervention. A supermarket security guard’s vigilance exposed Dominique Pelicot, a predator who recruited over 80 men to rape his drugged wife and had thousands of incriminating images. Gisele’s courage in waiving her anonymity to raise awareness reminds us that abuse is often perpetrated by those closest to us. The security guard’s decision to act on a gut feeling highlights how crucial it is for bystanders to challenge inappropriate behaviour.
The corporate world is far from immune to these dynamics. A case, covered in a series to highlight gaslighting and abuse, reveals a workplace where a manager secretly recorded female employees, both audibly and visually, without their consent and buried their complaints under mounting legal bills. He boasted about how the rising costs of legal action would discourage anyone from pursuing justice, stating that “when they see the legal bills mount up, they always drop the case.” Disturbingly, during an investigation, he described his own behaviour as “stalking,” though it was officially termed by the complainant as “constant surveillance” in a report. This admission is telling and highlights the severity of his actions.
The same individual engaged in coercive and controlling behaviour, gaslighting, and fostering a toxic work environment. When victims raised grievances, a well-oiled machinery of silence swung into action. Expensive legal teams were weaponized to intimidate and exhaust victims, ensuring complaints were stifled. Others who had previously attempted to come forward were similarly silenced, demonstrating a calculated effort to shield the abuse and maintain the status quo.
What emerged was a disturbing chain of abuse, supported by enablers who were financially motivated to discredit and smear the victim. These enablers, recruited for their like-minded willingness to protect the abuser, played active roles in perpetuating the toxic culture. However, this case also highlights a glimmer of hope like the recent McGregor case, with individuals severing ties in a stand against unethical practices. Their actions remind us that there are good people in the business world, and we need more of them to challenge these systems of abuse and create workplaces rooted in integrity and respect.
Cases like these, exemplifies how systems ostensibly designed to provide justice are frequently manipulated to protect abusers and punish whistleblowers. By exposing these tactics and the complicit network that supports them, we aim to bring much-needed attention to the urgent need for systemic change.
As Beckinsale, Lively, Cruickshank, and others have demonstrated, the price of speaking out is steep, but their courage inspires change. In 2025, initiatives to scrutinise these abusive processes and expose those complicit in maintaining them will gain momentum. This is about us all collectively holding systems and individuals accountable. The narrative must shift from silencing victims to addressing the structures that enable abuse.
The next time you witness inappropriate behaviour in a workplace or public setting, remember Gisele Pelicot and the courage of those who spoke out despite the odds. Intervening might seem inconvenient or uncomfortable, but it could prevent unimaginable harm. When we collectively decide that abusive behaviour is everyone’s business, we challenge the culture of silence and complicity.
The stories of Beckinsale, Lively, Cruickshank, and others demand more than sympathy, they demand action. It is our collective responsibility to dismantle the machinery of abuse and build systems that protect, rather than punish, those who dare to seek justice. The road ahead is long, but with persistence and solidarity, change is possible.
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