Analysing and learning about these stories not only sets a historical precedent for the present, but also helps us to change the way we see the past. It is the responsibility of historical researchers to bring back this evidence and share it. In this way, the actions of Tusto’s granddaughter, Jimena and her mother, and countless others can contribute to a society where women are taken seriously when reporting sexual assault.
Episode 295 of the Not Just the Tudors podcast, “Fairies in the Early Modern Era”, outlines another such legal mechanism, and how the fairy story might act as a way for a woman to report her assault in a society that would hold her at fault despite her innocence. Quite a good listen.
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