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The Diddy raid reminds us that it’s never too late for alleged victims to be heard | Tayo Bero

Years of work by alleged victims and advocates have led to an investigation of the mogul and a suit against Russell Simmons

Last week, the world watched as agents of the US Department of Homeland Security dramatically raided two properties – one in Miami and one in Los Angeles – belonging to the music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, as part of an ongoing investigation into sex-trafficking allegations. Many of Combs’s alleged victims are also young Black men, a fact that further complicates the cultural dynamics of understanding, reporting and seeking justice for this kind of systematic sexual abuse. Hip-hop is notoriously homophobic and the culture of silence around sexual abuse that prevails within the industry means that many of his accusers would have been forced to stay silent, had they not felt that their disclosures would be backed up by other victims speaking out at the same time.

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