How much is physical?

Is our willingness to believe and assist in abuse allegations predicated on whether or not we view the abused as 1) physically appealing and 2) physically vulnerable?

For instance… in Steig Larsson’s Millenium trilogy, Lisbeth is a chaotic neutral force; she is capable of fighting for her own rights via violence and subversion, but will not injure another unless a direct threat is posed. She is perfectly capable of fighting for her own rights and determining her own future but, because of injustices perpetrated by those who had power over her as a child, including legal authority figures, she is psychologically incapable of dealing with the systems in place.

If another character were substituted, say, one with an identical psychological profile but with less doll-like proportions, would those around her still be as willing to rise to the occasion? Would she be viewed as more or less capable by those around her if she was 5’8” and a standard weight? Or worse, built like her half-brother, Neidermann? A solid woman above 6’? How about less than physically appealing? Overweight? With a huge mole on her neck?

Would her psychological vulnerabilities still be enough for those around her to step in on her behalf (inspiring a national scandal) or would such physical proportions fail to stir such a fervor? Or would her psych profile make people even less curious about this intense girl if her physical appearance were not so appealing? Would her intense self-reliance and intellect just freak people out or would it continue to draw people in? How much, exactly, does the physical appearance of an individual dictate how people view the personality?