Unsilenced: One Woman’s Fight to Right the Wrongs of Injustice and Give Sexual Assault Victims and Survivors Hope Witlee became a Victim Advocate after becoming a crime victim of domestic and sexual violence. In 2018, Witlee was recognized by ACA Event Solutions for her advocacy work in the fight to end Domestic Violence in NC […]
The author of this post is Karla Hernández, co-founder of Vivo Alliance, an advocacy nonprofit based in Puerto Rico. Vivo Alliance and Joyful Heart Foundation started collaborating in May 2024 to understand the rape kit handling issues in Puerto Rico and advocate for change. In this post, Ms. Hernández walks us through issues survivors face […]
The following is a story from Hilda O. a survivor from New York who is working to shed light on how the statute of limitations affects victims of child abuse. With the passage of the Child Victims Act and its affiliated “Lookback Window”, barriers were temporarily removed for survivors to seek justice and heal on […]
Content Awareness:This content explicitly mentions rape and may be difficult for some to read. Ashley Spence is a victim advocate and founder of the DNA Justice Project. At 19 years old, she was the victim of a brutal home invasion rape that nearly took her life. The perpetrator was eventually caught through DNA testing. Ashley […]
It is now my life’s mission to use my whole story as a voice for the voiceless. I often think about my nieces & nephews for whom I want to make this world a better place for when I leave this earth.
Survivor and sexual assault advocate Julie Weil describes what Florida’s recently passed sexual assault kit legislation, Florida SB 636, means for survivors who have felt like their voices have not been heard.
I am a survivor of an extremely violent sexual assault. I will always live every day in deep gratitude that I am still alive to even tell my story.
Ann M. is the mother of a survivor who was raped when she was just 12 years old in her own home. Her family had to wait ten years for the perpetrator’s arrest.
We’re continuing our feature of stories from survivors of rape and sexual assault who have been affected by the backlog of untested rape kits. Today, Natasha shares her story with us. We thank her and honor her courage in sharing what she has experienced.
