An ancient history of violence. The well-known head of Medusa the Gorgon appears on many brands, in legends and even songs. Not surprising! So scary, with hair made of snakes and a terrifying, deadly look. And of course, Perseus, who killed the Gorgon Medusa, is a hero! Men who have defeated someone are always heroes! The story of the brave Perseus is more popular than the story of the Gorgon Medusa, and how she turned from a beautiful girl into a monster. Meanwhile, the Gorgon Medusa, as a girl, was the most beautiful daughter of the sea elder Phorcys and Keto. The fact that she turned into a cold-blooded and cruel creature was the fault of the man who raped her, and this rapist was the god Poseidon himself. Poor Medusa, pursued by Poseidon, took refuge in the temple of Athena, stupid, hoping for the protection of the almighty gods. But Poseidon, turning into a bird, overtook her in the temple and raped her. To complete all the troubles that befell young Medusa, instead of protecting the gods, she also received an undeserved punishment for desecrating the temple of Athena, and Athena herself for this offense , turned her beautiful hair into snakes. She disfigured Medusa’s face with a mouth with fangs, between which her tongue protruded, and the worst thing that Athena did to the naive Medusa was to reward her with a look from which anyone who looked into Medusa’s eyes turned to stone. That’s all. ! Neither doe eyes for you, nor your charming smile, nor your curly, beautiful hair. There is no cute girl. There is a terrible woman. Do you want to say that she could report where she should for Poseidon’s encroachments on her honor? Wait a minute! Medusa Gorgon was a mere mortal! Where can she go against the god Poseidon! As they say, “What Poseidon can do, a mortal cannot!” And Athena, of course, is also good. Instead of interceding for the victim, she takes the side of the rapist, Poseidon, punishing the already insulted girl. Just the same, divine mutual responsibility. Do you want to argue that this was a long time ago and not true? What now, is violence against a woman strictly punished? No matter how it is. For thousands of years, in society, justifications for the actions of a rapist towards a woman have been heard. And they always say the same thing - “It’s my own fault!” In reports of crimes related to violence. The persons involved in the cases are a priest, a prosecutor, a father. Well, what about the gods? Victims of violence say: - “I was ashamed to look in the mirror, I felt dirty. I tried to tell my friends. They laughed. They said it was my fault, I had to fight back.” - “I was raped by my older brother, then he invited his friends and they The three of us did it. I was afraid to tell my mother. I’m from the Caucasus.” On the Internet, there are many testimonies of violence, and even more who are silent about it. Simply because society tends to blame the victim. The plot in the film "Voroshilov's Shooter" is noteworthy, in which the grandfather took revenge on the scoundrels for the violence committed against his granddaughter by shooting off the organs of the rapists. The plot is about powerlessness in the face of crime. About not trusting the protective power of the law. The law, like the gods, thousands of years ago, perhaps, is unfair towards the victim. As it happened with Medusa the Gorgon. It all depends on what mutual responsibility the accused has. While the victim of violence seeks fair punishment for her offender, society will pour slop on her, starting with law enforcement officers, ending with the relatives and friends of the rapist. The most difficult thing for a victim of violence is to report a crime committed against her. Limiting beliefs greatly interfere with this. 7 limiting beliefs of women who are afraid to report violence against them: 1. Fears and doubts: Women may experience fear of possible consequences, such as negative reactions from others, accusations of lying or discrediting. Doubts about their own righteousness and the belief that they are not worthy of support can prevent them from taking a step forward.2. Fear of losing family and loved ones: Fear that the public reaction to the discovery of violence may lead to isolation and loss of support from loved ones. 3.