You are discussing ‘typical’ victims. Now, add to the equation the fact that the perpetrator is very wealthy and has access to lots of publicity and lots of lawyers. The ‘treating like shit’ just got ramped up exponentially.
Additionally, of course, there is likely guilt and shame of having ‘put yourself in that position.’ Many rapes started with flirtation. There might be cases where the woman was very attracted to the man, even willing to become a ‘side fling’ for the thrill of it all. She might have been dressed to ‘impress’, might have even been looking ‘for attention’. (Strange, isn’t it, that rich people don’t feel so similarly shamed if they get robbed?)
The key, of course, is that a woman doesn’t give up her ability to make decisions for herself at any point in this dalliance. A woman can be flirty with a man she has desires for and still not be willing to consent to sexual activity on his terms; her ‘no’ is just as valid. She is entitled to want ‘attention’ while still maintaining the right to decline unwanted attention. No amount of overt ‘sexiness’ amounts to consent without actually consenting.
But those doubts are real. When coupled with the other aspects of victim shaming already discussed, these questions about the woman’s role most certainly contribute to the reluctance.
And, in that vain, I completely understand how E. Jean Caroll chose to tell her story. She knows that people are going to question her behavior, scrutinize her actions, and wonder whether she is being truthful or opportunistic. So, she told the story on her terms - she wrote a book, which meant that nobody could edit her words in a way she didn’t want. From what I gather from excerpts and interviews, she owns the ambiguities in her story (e.g. yes, she was an ambitious woman in New York who sought to run in the biggest and most glamorous circles). She doesn’t shy away from the fact that, yes, she was flirting with a married man. And, yes, she was discussing a sexualized topic (lingerie) with him. And she even walked into an isolated room with him.
I, personally, think it all adds to her credibility. She could have erased any possibility culpability she had to put herself in that situation. And, in fact, she could be loudly clamoring for ‘justice’ regarding a crime that is decades old, in pursuit of martyrdom. I think the fact that she is instead coming out and basically saying “Here’s my truth, ugly thought it may be. Deal with it.” without asking for a monetary reward or criminal prosecution makes it believable.