It’s hard to find one clear explanation to the shocking reality that a collective distrust of victims by the public often leads to harsher criticism of them rather than the actual attackers. To find a rational reason that is factual or warranted is impossible and therefore I think the most likely reason comes from an innate lack of empathy in the general population based on years of practice.
Over time, when cases have been publicized in news media outlets, victims (and their dire situations) are sensationalized even if they weren’t previously celebrities and this has caused a dehumanization of them as individuals.
When the public can no longer see victims as people, the disconnect occurs. This process occurs time and time again and the negative outcomes of this lack of empathy give life to a culture that now has total distrust and expects faults while placing harsh unfair critique on someone who has, far more often than not, done no wrong other than seek justice for a crime they didn’t ask to be committed against them.
To answer the question of why we as people are so quick to disassociate and put down those that have the spotlight thrust upon them, we have to ask ourselves not just how we would react if we were the ones facing the masses, but also whether or not we can acknowledge the biases present in news publications today that debase the character of the sufferer purely for the socioeconomic success of American media.