You beat me to it. I, too, have been contemplating leaving this forum. What started out as a delightful discovery in finding this forum has deteriorated into a cringing, head-shaking experience when I read some of the responses to women who have had frightening experiences or who are concerned for their safety on the camino.
Women who have come foreword to post experiences of assault or attempted assault have been ridiculed, dismissed, and invalidated. For those who are unaware of what this does to traumatized women (or men, for that matter), it is the recipe for re-trauma. It also strikes fear in the hearts of many other women. It is no wonder some slink off and are never heard from again, or don't respond to demands to explain what exactly they mean by "molestation," or have their posted experiences or concerns removed. In recent weeks I sent a PM to one woman who got bombarded with negative comments about her concern for her safety. She answered that she had been crying all day over this and was profuse in her gratitude that I expressed some small concern and compassion for her treatment. If that happened to me I might just turn off my computer, take a shower to try to wash off the dismissive comments, and never return.
It doesn't help to write, "don't worry, the camino is safe, you'll be just fine." Yeah, you'll be just fine unless you're the next one assaulted. The fact is: assault has happened on the camino. This is a truth; it isn't a hypothetical. And any worried woman is afraid she could be the next victim. Women are only warning others of what has happened to them or asking what they might do to protect themselves. It isn't fear mongering or paranoia. I realize many, many women walk the camino and only have wonderful, safe experiences, but it isn't the only experience to be had.
And men aren't the only offenders here. There are some female writers who are the equivalent of loud-mouthed bullies who carry big sticks and attempt to bash those who dare bring up safety concerns.
If men and women don't come forward with the realities of the camino then this forum will be a sanitized version of the truth.
My hat is off to Camino4me. You took a lot of abuse -- and it was really hard to read --but you stood up to it beautifully.