Abigail Breslin Explains Why She Didn't Report Her Rape

Nearly two weeks after revealing that she was sexual assaulted, Abigail Breslin is now opening up about why she didn't report her rape.

The Dirty Dancing (2017) star took to social media on April 22, 2017, posting an infographic from the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. It stated "out of every 1,000 rapes, 994 perpetrators will walk free" and that only "310 are reported to police." She paired the post with the hashtag "#knowthefacts."

After a user commented on the post, criticizing Breslin's decision not to report the incident to authorities and incorrectly asserting that "reported rapes are the only rapes that count," the 20-year-old explained why she kept her rape a secret.

In a text photo post titled "Trigger Warning," she wrote, "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 continued, "Second of all, I was in a relationship with my rapist and feared not being believed," before revealing, "I also feared that if my case didn't lead anywhere, he would still find out and hurt me even more." She then added, "Thirdly, I knew how hurt my friends and family would be after finding out and I didn't want to put them thru that."

After admitting that she had been diagnosed with PTSD following the attack, Breslin addressed the troll in question: "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." She concluded, "Unreported rapes count. Reported rapes count. End of story."

The Scream Queens (2015-) actress initially shared the news of her rape on April 11, 2017 in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. As Entertainment Tonight highlighted, Breslin has been met with overwhelming support and thanks from her fans, as well as other victims of sexual assault.