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Making Sure Victims of Sexual Assault Are Heard

Victims and survivors of predatory sexual behavior, sexual harassment and sexual assault, have a place to report their sexual assault cases and how they were treated when they went to tell the events. If they are ready to do so. It is well established in the medical literature that every time a victim tells their story they are re-traumatised. Particularly if they first encountered a law enforcement officer or medical provider that dismissed their accounts of the event.

An advocate and activist for women’s reproductive rights based in New York, Alison Turkos, created a website to support people who have been sexually assaulted and want to report how they were heard by authorities and medical personnel in the aftermath of the traumatic event.

In the first day that the website went live more that 150 people signed and responded to the survey. She now has 500 plus people who have shared the stories of how they have not received proper attention of law enforcement, authorities, and the poor treatment received in medical settings when they went to report their sexual assault. 

“After publicly sharing my sexual assault story in May 2018 I found immense comfort in other survivors' stories, a sense of camaraderie. As I’ve connected with survivors and supported them as they’ve shared their stories, I’ve realized how little, if any support, there is for victims and survivors of sexual violence who speak publicly.” Alison Turkos

With the data gathered she will prepare a report to present to legislators in Congress, and develop educational tools for victims to help them tell their stories to the press, and for the institutions that work with survivors and victims to learn how to better listen to them. Click here to access her website and the survey.

The UN Brief interviewed Turkos to find out more about her initiative, after reading her interview with Jessica Valenti.