When the Government Shields the Abuser

Update: 2025-08-14

Description

When Kristen Louise Duncombe was just 10 years old, her life changed forever. The man who abused her wasn’t hiding in the shadows — William Francis Mulcahy, a senior U.S. diplomat with diplomatic immunity, protected by the very government sworn to uphold justice. Even after multiple victims came forward, he kept his job, his freedom, and access to children.

Kristen recounts the insidious grooming tactics he employed and the systemic failures that allowed him to evade justice for 30 years. exposes the cover-up, the diplomatic loopholes, and the lifelong impact of the State Department’s silence. From the Ivory Coast to a Cape Cod arrest decades later, her story is both a devastating account of systemic failure and an unflinching call for change.

In this episode, we discuss:
✔️ How the U.S. government used diplomatic immunity to shield a serial pedophile from justice.
✔️ Why seven victims speaking out still wasn’t enough in the 1980s.
✔️ The grooming tactics that allowed him to charm an entire community.
✔️ The devastating ripple effect of institutional silence on survivors.
✔️ How Kristen reclaimed her voice through her book Object.

Key Takeaways:

· Grooming doesn’t just target children — it conditions entire communities to trust the abuser.

· Diplomatic immunity and legal loopholes can leave predators free to offend for decades.

· Fawning is a survival response that can lead to repeated victimization.

· The statute of limitations continues to protect abusers more than victims.

· Survivors reclaim power by telling their stories, even years later.

· Institutional accountability is critical to preventing future abuse.

How to connect:
https://www.kristinduncombe.com/about/
https://www.amazon.com/OBJECT-Childhood-Shocking-Cover-Up-Government-ebook/dp/B0DCK3T7G2?ref_=ast_author_dp

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