The Fierce Freedom Podcast

Trigger Warning: This podcast contains details and discussion of sexual assault.

Did you know? 1 in 5 women are sexually assaulted while in college but its estimated that 85% to 90% of campus sexual assaults are never reported to campus administrators or law enforcement. (RAINN; American Psychological Assc.)

In the wake of the recent events of the Cornell Seven R*pe case, Fierce Freedom Co-Hosts Cat Morgan and Mark Halvorsen sit down to discuss why victims often never come forward due to feelings of fear, shame, as well as institutional or policy hurdles and cultural biases which blame them for their own assault and do little to hold perpetrators accountable.

In addition to this issue of the prevalence of SA on college campuses and society at large, we'll discuss proactive ways to teach consent from a young age and how to walk alongside your child during the reporting process.

If you'd like to find support or make a report visit http://rainn.org or visit your campus Title IX office. If you or someone else is struggling with their mental health you can call the suicide hotline 988 or call 211 for WI resources.

To learn more about this issue, visit: https://www.thehuntinggroundfilm.com/the-facts.html

In this powerful episode, we're joined by Lisa Otterbacher, former Chief of Police for Whitewater, Wisconsin, and advocate for SA survivors and child safety.

As both a law enforcement officer and advocate, Lisa has seen firsthand how predators operate- and she's now using that experience and her heart for victims to help communities recognize the warning signs before exploitation happens.

Lisa also unpacks some best practice for walking alongside survivors, while navigating the justice system. She stresses the importance of allowing them to be in the drivers seat in their own healing journey.

She challenges each of us to be empowered through education, frequent conversations, and the importance of teaching ourselves and vulnerable youth to identify grooming behavior, so that we can collectively create safer environments for children.

In this episode, we're joined by Liberty Sarkar, Certification Manager of Safe House Project and Amanda Pulley, survivor leader and Founder of Wild Hope Brainspotting and Consulting to discuss Safe House Project's Ally Training.

This training is a comprehensive, trauma-informed certification program designed to equip professionals, advocates, and allies with the skills necessary to support survivors of human trafficking effectively.

Additionally, Amanda and Liberty unpack common myths about trafficking that this training seeks to address, and explore why understanding our own neurobiology changes how we respond, not react to survivors.

Lastly, they'll share about how the Ally training provides advocates the tools needed to elevate and ground their work in compassion and sustainable best practices.

If you'd like to check out a sample of this training, visit: https://training.safehouseproject.org/library

If you'd like to check out Safe House Project's other professional trainings and resources, or to support their work, visit: https://www.safehouseproject.org

The renewed attention surrounding Michael Jackson through film and media portrayals including the recent Netflix docuseries Michael Jackson: The Verdict, provides an important opportunity to discuss how fame, power, and public admiration can influence the way we respond to allegations of abuse.

As we examine key takeaways of this case and questions to ask, our hope is that this conversation leads to better practices that prioritize child safety, healthy boundaries, and accountability over reputation, influence, or celebrity.

Are there any topics you think we should cover on the podcast? Reach out to us at [email protected] to share your thoughts with us!

As many of us plan for summer getaways, we may never contemplate the reality that our plans could intersect with human trafficking.

In this episode, we sit down with Mike Kaether, Executive Director for Domestic Freedom, to discuss an often-overlooked area of trafficking identification: campgrounds and RV parks.

Mike shares why he felt compelled to develop specialized training to help campground staff, travelers, and communities recognize the warning signs of exploitation happening in these environments.

Mike also discusses what surprised him most as he learned more about trafficking, how these crimes often hide in plain sight, and the practical steps individuals can take if they suspect someone may be in danger.

If you'd like to learn more about Mike's organization Domestic Freedom and reach out for training, visit them here: https://domesticfreedom.org

If you'd like to check out Fierce Freedom's free training for hotels and hospitality - visit: fiercefreedom.org/be-aware-hotel-training/

It has been estimated that 60-90% of all child sex trafficking victims have histories in the child welfare system. So what happens when the very systems designed to protect children fall short?

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Margie Barilla — advocate, speaker, and CEO of Barilla Consulting — to discuss the urgent realities facing vulnerable youth in the United States foster care system and the critical connection between system involvement and child human trafficking risk.

In this important conversation, we take a deeper look at the realities many vulnerable youth face within the foster care system and how instability, trauma, abuse, neglect, and lack of support can increase the risk of exploitation and child sex trafficking.

Lastly Margie explains how her organization Barilla Consulting is working to "push for immediate protections, advocate for systemic reform, and ensure that no child is abandoned to a dangerous environment."

If you'd like to learn more or support the work she's doing, visit: https://www.barillaconsulting.com

In this episode we're joined by two guests from The Bridge to Hope in Menomonie, WI. Angie McIlquham, Director of Sexual Assault Victim Services and Kat Brogan, Sexual Assault Advocate & UW-Stout Campus Advocate. Together, they'll talk about their work supporting survivors in the Chippewa Valley.

Both Angie and Kat also share how they got involved in advocacy, the realities of underreporting, and how trauma-informed care helps survivors navigate complex systems while maintaining dignity and self-efficacy.

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, The Bridge to Hope is hosting creative, community-centered events all month long—including art initiatives like decorating denim in honor of Denim Day on April 29th—inviting community members to take a stand with survivors.

💛 Learn more, get involved, and view upcoming events at thebridgetohope.org.

In this powerful episode, we talked with JoDee Neil - former crimes-against-children prosecutor, civil litigator, and fierce advocate for survivors - to explore the realities of sexual abuse, disclosure, and healing.

JoDee brings a rare and critical perspective shaped by both her legal career and her own lived experience as a sexual assault survivor.

Now the author of Outcry Witness: A Former Prosecutor's Guide to Healing and Justice After Sexual Violence - she sheds light on what it truly means to speak up - and why disclosure is not a single moment, but a complex and courageous process.

Together, we unpack barriers, and breakthroughs surrounding abuse and survivor healing - and why this moment in history presents new opportunities for truth, justice, and healing transformation.

Learn more about JoDee Neil and her work: https://neilnowlegal.com/about-jodee/

Purchase her book Outcry Witness here.

In Part 2, Camille shares her journey of rebuilding after a life threatening experience of attempted trafficking and grooming, and how she began to untangle her faith and reclaim her voice.

She also reflects on what healthy, boundaried "neighboring" looks like and how she now instigates a grace-paced movement rooted in dignity, agency, and justice — equipping communities to recognize red flags and walk alongside survivors with wisdom and care.

In Part 1 of this episode, Camille LaLond — trauma-informed mentor — shares how her vulnerabilities were exploited and culminated into a situation of grooming and attempted trafficking cloaked in spiritual authority.

Camille provides valuable insight on how abusers in faith settings operate in plain sight and utilize tools of manipulation, coercion, and spiritual abuse.