(Jane Doe Inc.)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The head of a well-known sexual assault and domestic violence coalition in Boston is weighing in on Patriots owner Robert Kraft getting caught up in a prostitution sting.
Debra Robbin, Executive Director of Jane Doe, Inc. told WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe she's "dismayed and disappointed" to hear the news about Kraft.
"We expect people to uphold respectful and healthy relationships," Robbin said. "Those are the social norms that we advocate for. When people are in particular spheres of influence—and in this case, huge spheres of influence, there is a higher bar of what we expect from them as role models and leaders."
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But Robbin said it's important not to focus the story on one person, and instead pay attention to the larger epidemic of sex trafficking.
"Otherwise we will think that it is around one individual and not a broader societal, world-wide, international degradation of gender-based violence," she said.
The Patriots Foundation gives grant money to Jane Doe. Robbin said she's trying to separate the entity from the individual, but admits she's not sure whether or not Jane Doe will continue to accept grants from them in the future.
She's concerned the story will have a ripple effect on sexual assault survivors.
"This can be a trigger for people who have already experienced this," Robbin said. "Trauma is a real issue, and there are people who are currently experiencing sexual violence. This is a reminder to them of what the oppression is that they're facing."
Tunnicliffe asked Robbin about Kraft's persona as a kind, giving man and loving husband to his late wife.
"Something we have to understand, too, is that people are many different complex layers, and all of the things you just said can still be valid and so can these actions that don't fit in with our impression of someone," Robbin said. "That makes it even more a feeling of dismay, for some probably a feeling of betrayal."
WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports