The instant offense of Rape
is rated by the FBI as the second
most violent crime, second only to murder. This is the most violent crime
victims will live to talk about. Yet rape and sexual violence remain
mysterious,
misunderstood and under-reported. The lifetime effects impact survivors
and
their families, yet the voice describing these effects is small. If all
victims and
their families would yell at one time, the noise would be deafening.
In an attempt to share her
story of rape, recovery and add to a
voice to describe the effects of this crime, Shirley Iverson made a decision to go
public about her experiences. The first interview was "Good Morning
America"
in December 2003. Since that time she has participated in over 100 media
interviews. Each interview has a goal of reaching women that need
services,
sharing hope for recovery and describing to the American public that we do
not
know what to do with rapists and sex offenders. The time is now to say
"Enough!"
We cannot continue to allow our women and children to be victimized
by sexual violence.
Photo credit: Paul Canada
This site
may be triggering. If you or your family are in crisis please contact
your local sexual assault support services or call
1-800-656-HOPE. May your journey to recovery be filled with
supportive voices and actions.
