I certainly am in no position to be judge or jury, to in any way determine guilt or innocence. I firmly believe in the creed of innocent until proven guilty, and there are still many steps to be taken in the legal proceedings.

But to me there are a couple of very clear, very important takeaways that we should all be able to agree on with regards to these types of situations.

The first is that we all absolutely, unequivocally must treat any allegations of sexual assault seriously and without delay.

I believe that the vast majority of individuals who come forward and say they have been sexually assaulted are truly victims.

They need to be listened to, treated respectfully and protected from any potential abuser. To me, doing those things is simple common sense and should be the expectation in our society.

I know, however, that not all allegations are based in fact. I personally know individuals who have been falsely accused, and to me they are victims as well. Being falsely accused of sexual assault also has a huge negative impact on people’s lives.

That is why it is so vital that every allegation is investigated as thoroughly as possible, because whoever the victim is — the accuser or person being accused — deserves justice.

So if you ever hear of anyone alleging sexual assault — or any assault — please listen to them. Be there for them. Don’t ever shame them or ostracize them.

Treat them with the respect, dignity, and compassion you would want if you were in their situation.

I believe the only way we are going to effectively address the vast problem of sexual assault is to stand together against abusers.

That leads me to my second takeaway, which is that it is exponentially more important for organizations and individuals dealing with vulnerable populations to take every step possible to ensure their safety.

Patients at hospitals, care facilities, assisted-living facilities, rehabilitation centers and other similar locations definitely must be protected from predators.

If you live at or work for or run one of these types of organizations, I urge you to be active in ensuring proper protocols are in place and followed. Please fight any apathy at any level and stand up for the vulnerable individuals who might be in danger.

We can all make a difference. It may be cliché now to say the phrase, “if you see something, say something,” but it’s still valid.

I believe that doing that in these locations protects not only patients but also caregivers, security personnel, maintenance staff, and other individuals who could be falsely accused. I know it can be tempting to cut corners at times to save money or make things easier for staff or administration, but any such benefit is completely eradicated if someone abuses the system because corners were cut.

It’s just not worth it.

I think we can do better in these instances.

I think we must do better in these instances.

We need to be there for each other and ensure that everyone knows sexual assault and false accusations are completely unacceptable in any form. Anyone engaging in such activities should expect to face severe consequences.

I don’t think we will ever be able to completely eliminate criminal behavior but we can certainly minimize the risks and care for any victims.

That should be the clear objective for all of us.