Fans and fellow artists joined in the #FreeKesha social media movement Friday when New York State Supreme Court Judge Shirley Kornreich turned down pop-star Kesha’s request to be released from her contract with Kemosabe Records, which is housed under Sony. 

The suit was filed in October 2014 against producer and songwriter Dr. Luke, Kesha’s producer, claiming he allegedly sexually and emotionally abused her as well as drugged and raped her.

Kesha said Dr. Luke, whose legal name is Lukasz Gottwald, started abusing her when she signed with him in 2005 as a 17-year-old unknown from Nashville. She said he shamed her for her weight, which led to her developing an eating disorder. 

In the lawsuit, Kesha claims Gottwald gave her what he said was a “sober pill” when she was drunk; it was a date rape drug. Gottwald then allegedly raped Kesha.

The case hasn’t been ruled yet, but Kornreich’s decision made Kesha’s case harder to pursue for her attorneys.

If Kesha’s claims are true, forcing her to continue working with her alleged rapist is detrimental to both her personal well-being and her career, as she’s said she won’t create songs produced by Dr. Luke.

It took Kesha 10 years to gather the courage to tell this story, and the justice system is treating her like the criminal. Kesha faces a huge opponent — Sony, one of the largest companies in the industry — and the company’s power should not be enough to silence her horrific claims.

If true, Kesha is a victim, and she’s being punished, which is unacceptable. Rape victims should not face more scrutiny than their rapist and should not be punished for finally gathering the courage to come forward.