Assault survivors, advocates mark improvements in Utah’s justice system, room for growth

Antoinette Valdez holds a pair of signs as she joins a group gathered to take part in the Walk of No Shame in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

‘Walk of No Shame’ march meant to combat rape culture and give survivors an opportunity to unite

SALT LAKE CITY — When Donna Kelly was a teenager working at a Baskin Robbins ice cream shop in 1972, she left work late at night and noticed a man “crouched down trying to hide” in the back seat of her car.

She ran back inside and called the police, but the man had escaped by the time officers arrived.

“And you know what happens to me still, to this day, when I walk out when my car is outside parked in a dark parking lot? You know what happens to me? My heart starts beating fast. I start looking around. I look into the backseat of my car 27 times before I can get in,” Kelly explained.

“It still affects me today, and I wasn’t even a victim of sexual assault. But that piece of trauma still affects me. Imagine what it’s like for a woman who’s raped in their own bed. She has to get in that bed every night. Imagine what that’s like.”

Kelly, now a special victims unit prosecutor with the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, has worked for 30 years helping thousands of survivors of rape and sexual assault in Utah.

On Saturday, she spoke to a group of about 50 survivors and supporters in downtown Salt Lake City for the annual “Walk of No Shame” march, a worldwide event meant to combat rape culture and sexual assault. (In other areas, the march is titled “Slutwalk,” meant to question that label’s connotations.)

The theme of this year’s local march was “Justice,” shedding light on gaps and improvements in how survivors are treated by the court system in Utah. The group met at the Salt Lake City and County building to listen to speakers, and then walked to the Utah State Capitol steps while chanting and displaying signs with phrases like “No Means No, Yes Means Yes,” and others emphasizing the need for consent.

Valerie McFadin said she participated in the march to show support for those she knows — almost every woman in her life — who have experienced some form of sexual violence or harassment. Her little corgi, Havarti, joined in the event while sporting a cape that read, “Even I understand no means no.”

Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Valerie McFadin with her puppy Havarti join a group at the Capitol during the Walk of No Shame in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019.

McFadin said in her home state of Alabama, victims often aren’t given as much support as in other states.

“Even if I can’t be home, I can be here,” McFadin said of the event.

For Tuesday Allred, the march was also a way to support loved ones.

“I have friends, and my partner, that have been either raped or assaulted. And we just appreciate that they do this to shine a light on it, so that we can hopefully change the rape culture,” Allred said.

As a survivor, Rachel Love said gathering with others who share similar stories is “personal empowerment. To take my life back, for me, stand up for myself and say, ‘Hey, listen. This is where it ends.’ Setting the boundary. I’m not going to let my past rule me, not going to live in fear.”

As far as how Utah’s justice system handles assaults, “It’s better than it used to be, but it still needs a lot of work,” Love said.

Kelly said that while drastic improvements have been made regarding how survivors are listened to and treated today compared to in the past, much can be done.

Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Prosecutor Donna Kelly speaks to a group gathered to take part in the Walk of No Shame in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019.

Noting an example of improvements, she said Washington County recently received a grant to hire a full-time trauma interviewer — something she hopes will become a statewide trend. As is, many officers receive little to no training in how to treat those who report sexual assaults, according to Kelly.

Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, said she is working on legislation next year to support survivors and help prevent sexual assaults in the future. One bill would make education about consent mandatory for high school and junior high students, she said.

“When we think about sexual assault, we think about domestic violence, we think about human trafficking, it all has a common theme. And it’s about power and control. And part of that takes away consent. And so we all have to be accountable for consent,” Romero said.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2nBTPrg