Another former partner of writer Ruel Johnson has alleged that she was abused while she shared a relationship with him.
The woman, Sinah Kloss, who said she shared a two-year relationship with Johnson, endorsed a Facebook post made by Akola Thompson on Monday in which she alleged that she was abused by Johnson during their past relationship.
“I believe every word Akola has written…,” wrote Kloss, a German citizen who had been residing in Guyana during her relationship with Johnson.
In her post, Kloss said while she was not a minor, Johnson managed to manipulate her and slowly decreased her self-esteem, which she said was “common in histories of domestic violence….”
She noted that during the relationship she was at her low dealing with the death of her father and exhaustion from her academic studies.
“…He used this moment to exert power, control me and abuse me verbally and make himself feel in charge… so many times that in the end it didn’t even hurt anymore,” Kloss said.
In the comment, Kloss made it clear that she has no political agenda or any reason to denounce the behaviour of an ex-boyfriend somewhere far away. But she added that as a female scholar and activist, she felt it was her responsibility to support fellow victims who are speaking up now and are more victimised by strangers who call them liars.
Thompson, who writes a column in Stabroek News, accused Johnson, who is also a co-founder of The Citizen’s Initiative (TCI) political party, of being a predator and grooming her when she was 16 years old.
Calls to Johnson’s phone went unanswered when this newspaper sought to contact him for a comment.
However, in a Facebook post, Johnson said he would respond to all questions and allegations made when the time is right.
He also condemned any attack on any person coming forward with something to say. “An accusation is made – it is up for the person accused to respond. It should not be an opportunity to blame or shame the person making the accusation,” he said.
He noted, too, that in an earlier brief statement he had outlined this position. “Horrifyingly, I saw victim blaming and crude language emerge under that post as the public weighed in, solidifying why many women stay silent in the face of grievous acts committed against them. It is a culture that I fervently hope is changed in my lifetime,” he added.
Johnson, in a previous response, 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 her account of their relationship was 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.
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, TCI, asked him to step back from any active party duties pending an investigation by the relevant authorities.
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”.
