My story of the impact of sexual assault and rape on families
The tragic case of Sarah Everard has brought the sexual harassment and abuse that women must deal with in their day to day lives to the forefront of public attention. I have been both deeply moved and horrified by stories shared on Twitter. I found myself thinking more and more about Sarah’s family and the unimaginable grief that they are enduring. My daughter is a survivor of rape. I will not call her a victim; she is a survivor who has risen above what happened to her. I will not go into the details, that is her story to share not mine, but I felt compelled to talk about how what happened has impacted on me and the rest of her family. You see, rape does not just hurt one person. She told me over the phone the next morning. She was at university and it was not feasible for me to get to her immediately I remember that phone call as an almost out of body experience to me. I stayed calm, talked about practicalities with her and made sure she was not alone. When the call ended, I