The Time For Change Is Now
I survived a sexual assault. I came forward about it six years ago.. When I first came forward about my story and what I went through, it was a very overwhelming and a scary process.
Trying to work through a justice system that is broken and confusing alone is a pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Many times, sexual assault survivors are not guaranteed basic civil rights when coming forward. For example, they are not provided a victim advocate, their name is not protected, they are not being informed of updated information on their case, and many times forensic evidence such as rape kits are thrown away before being processed or before seeking justice.
When I came forward about my rape I felt alone. I wish I would’ve had a victim advocate to help guide me and to have a safe person to talk to. I recently just found out from my own research that my rapist is up for parole early.
This was information the court was supposed to provide me, but with a broken system, that was not the case. You can imagine how painful and scared I felt when I read this information. Survivors deserve better than what our justice system provides.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sexual assault cases have only increased. It’s more important now than ever to act to help the many survivors and victims fighting sexual assault.
I am working on helping pass the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights Act (HB 3487) in South Carolina. South Carolina has 1.4 million survivors that have come forward and many that have not.
If this passes, it will guarantee these survivors a comprehensive common sense of civil rights. Some rights include a victim advocate, knowing upon request the results of rape kits and their case status, and many other rights a survivor needs to move forward and begin their healing process.
I created this petition to help draw attention to bill HB3487. Click the link to help support this bill.
Without these rights, survivors are left alone and in pain to navigate a broken criminal justice system. Experiencing these feelings first-hand made me want to create change. Please take the time to read this petition and help get this bill more attention by signing and sharing it. It would help many survivors in South Carolina and eventually others around the country.
Featured Image by Shamia Casiano from Pexels
