Did you know that about half of our clients who have experienced sexual assault are children? NEWS is the Rape Crisis Center for Napa County. This means that anytime a victim of sexual assault is identified, they are referred to NEWS and our Sexual Assault Victim Services (SAVS) department for confidential, non-judgmental services, help navigating the often-scary legal system, accompaniment through various examinations, and advocacy with other agencies and service providers, including Victim Compensation claims, so that they can get what they need. For 14-year-old Jaimie, these services proved to be not only vital, but life altering, as she bravely chose to disclose the sexual abuse she had endured at the hands of her stepfather and held secret for 4 years.

One day, Jaimie decided that enough was enough. That morning, as her mother was making breakfast, Jaimie sat at the table and confided in her mom, Jennifer, about what her stepfather had done to her when she was just 10 years old. He crossed a boundary and began touching her inappropriately. That is when the whole family’s life changed. After four years of quietly dealing with depression, crying in the bathroom and losing friends, because she was having a hard time connecting with and trusting peers, Jaimie and her mother went to the police station to report the incident. This prompted an investigation, which included a forensic interview with a detective. Christina, our sexual assault advocate, was called to support the family through the journey they were about to embark.

Jaimie’s nightmare started when her stepfather crossed a boundary, but it didn’t stop there. After the forensic interview, Jaimie’s stepfather Tyler was arrested, leaving the family with only one income, unable to pay rent. Ultimately, they lost their family home. One of the goals of SAVS is to help families facing adversity like this to meet their basic needs, housing being a fundamental one. In the process of working with Jaimie’s mom to secure housing, we learned that Jennifer was also a victim of domestic violence. Working with other NEWS programs, such as the Crisis Intervention Department, Christina was able to help Jennifer with resources such as therapy, CalFresh and support groups as she was entering our confidential Shelter. Here, Jennifer was able to provide a safe space to her children (Jaimie and her 4 siblings) and concentrate efforts on helping Jaimie heal.

Over the course of the next few months, while staying at the NEWS Shelter, Jennifer worked diligently with case managers to become self-sufficient, and she was eventually able to afford a place of her own. Through all of this, the family faced the criminal justice system, where Tyler was eventually convicted. Many don’t realize that this is a sometimes years-long process of multiple court dates. The emotional turmoil that victims face can be exhausting – for all involved. Christina became an integral part of their healing journey, updating them on status of the case while keeping them focused on the goals they had set. Though four years later, Jaimie and her family are doing better, they continue to work with SAVS advocates and other NEWS departments on their dwindling list of goals. Healing from sexual abuse is not a predetermined path. A healing journey is unique to the individual and to the family. We at NEWS are honored to walk it with them. But all the while, they lead the way.

As this is a real client story, we have changed the name to protect the client’s privacy.

 If you are experiencing abuse or would just like some information, please call our help line, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

On April 26^th, wear jeans to take a stand against victim-blaming in honor of Denim Day

Denim Day grew out of a 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction because the victim wore “tight jeans.” The judges reasoned the victim’s tight jeans meant that she had to have helped her assailant remove them, implying consent. People all over the world were outraged, and wearing jeans became an international symbol of protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes and myths surrounding sexual assault.

Join NEWS and people across the globe in wearing denim on April 26th to show solidarity with survivors and take a stand against victim blaming. Flood social media with photos of your denim using #denimday and tag NEWS @news4peace.