2 women were blamed for their own deaths. So a stranger spoke up for them

[eridani]

http://www.upworthy.com/2-women-were-blamed-for-their-own-deaths-so-a-stranger-spoke-up-for-them?c=upw1

In a weird way, society's tendency to victim-blame makes sense. There's something strangely comforting about suggesting that the victim of a crime could have done something differently to change their fate. It makes us feel like we could survive in a similar situation if only we did something differently. It also makes us feel like maybe we live in a world where bad things only happen to those who deserve it.

The danger of victim-blaming, however, is that it makes the focus of the story or the solution to the problem solely about the victims and what they could've done differently. It means we end up ignoring the fact that 100% of the time, the perpetrator of the crime is the one at fault — that they are the one who should've done things differently, and they're the one who should be held accountable for their actions.

If María and Marina hadn't gone with the killers in Montañita, sure, they'd still be alive. But the men probably would've found other victims, and two other girls would be dead, and we'd be having the same conversation, and nothing would change.
Thanks to Guadalupe Acosta, María and Marina got the chance to remind the world that their deaths, while tragic, were not their fault.

We'll will never get to see what María José Coni and Marina Menegazzo could've grown up to do with their lives. They were friends, they were daughters, they were travelers, and their lives were ended at a time when they should've only just begun.