Rights activist and columnist Akola Thompson yesterday accused writer and politician Ruel Johnson of physical, sexual and verbal abuse during their relationship several years ago.
Johnson in an initial post said that he had been advised by his lawyer to desist from commenting publicly. He later denied some of the allegations made by Thompson.
Thompson, who writes a column in Stabroek News, accused Johnson of being a predator and grooming her when she was 16 years old.
In her post she wrote: “Predators such as Ruel select and target their victims based on a specific set of criteria: backgrounds of abuse, mental health problems, experiences of neglect etc. This isn’t done by chance. This is calculated. Vulnerable girls are more susceptible to fall for the interest of older men. Predators like to make young girls feel that they don’t normally like girls their age. There’s just something different about you, you’re so mature are things they are fond of saying. This was something Ruel would tell me frequently.
“He would use the pretense of the writing mentor to gain access to me and would coerce me through a steady stream of alcohol (I rarely ever drank) and manipulation. Guidance would be given on my work yes but he would always find some way to make sexual comments and innuendos. There was always some sexual joke to be made, some secret, some lingering look and touch. Ruel would refer to me as his “Lolita.” He recommended I read the book. I did. I couldn’t quite gather at the time or even now, what I was supposed to find endearing about the name. I would wonder years later, did he consider himself Humbert Humbert and was this reference a stark awareness of his predation? Did he, like Humbert Humbert have several young coquettes before his Lolita? I would be inclined to believe so”.
In his later response, Johnson said that Thompson’s post “is very deliberately short on specifics and a great deal of glossing over of fact.”
He referred to the relationship as a “brief and stupid fling” and said that he ended it on the basis of her age. He also that the recount of their relationship is a “very clear mixture of truth and deliberate lies.”
He said that there was no grooming and “steady stream of alcohol” to manipulate Thompson.
“Over the years, we would occasionally reengage until we entered a full and open relationship as she highlighted. It was toxic and a lot of fighting from… gaslighting on her part and yes, a great deal of anger and suspicion on mine,” Johnson said.
Referring to her first contact with Johnson, Thompson said: “At 16, I was in a physically abusive relationship with my daughter’s father. I had a history of trauma. I was in my 4th year of high school. In other words, I was a perfect candidate for more predators to pounce on. I would meet 32 year old Ruel in my 16th year at a poetry reading on the introduction from a mutual colleague. He told me my poems were different, that I had talent but that I could benefit from some guidance…his guidance. My colleague had recommended him as a good writer so I felt pleased that he had an interest in helping me to become better at my craft. At the time and for many years after, I had no idea what sexual grooming was and the strategies sexual predators utilized, but I know now”.
Thompson said that she was speaking out in the interest of “breaking patterns of abuse for myself and others. The first step is self healing, a process I’ve long begun and this step now is ripping away the pretensive veils of abusers, bit by bit. I’m not here for a tit for tat with anyone. I am here for the countless victims of abuse who feel as if they have no support. I am here to let you know that it is not your fault that you were taken advantage of. It’s not your fault you weren’t allowed to heal. It’s not your fault you fell into abusive patterns. Just know that I am here for you and I believe you. There is a legion of women who are here to support you”.
Following the post, Johnson’s party, The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) asked him to step back from any active duties with the party which contested the March 2nd general elections.
Rondha-Ann Lam and the executive body in a brief statement said: “Multiple posts have been brought to our attention with reference to Mr. Ruel Johnson and acts of violence, sexual and verbal abuse. One such woman has now openly made allegations of her experiences with Mr. Johnson. TCI takes any such accusations seriously and as such we have asked Mr. Johnson to step back from any active duties in TCI whilst this matter is investigated by the relevant authorities.
“TCI does not condone gender based violence in any format and treats all accusations with the seriousness they should be accorded”.
