What Happens When Sexual Assault Goes Unpunished: Sarah Delia, Host of “She Says”



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When radio journalist Sarah Delia heard a story about the sexual assault of one of her listeners, “Linda” (not her real name), she knew it was a story that needed to be told. It’s also a story about how one survivor took matters into her own hands when the police department she turned to for help seemed to be failing to help her. And it’s a story about how our criminal justice system handles sexual assault cases nationwide--and what needs to change to make violence against women the exception rather than the status quo.

Sarah turned Linda’s story into a new investigative podcast series called “She Says”. Listen to our conversation about the courage it takes to tell your story of sexual assault--and keep telling it---until you are heard by someone who can help you get justice. And also--what it takes to be the person who takes on the “second-degree trauma” of listening to and reporting on stories of sexual assault.

To learn more about what to expect from the criminal justice system in cases of sexual assault--and how you can help advocate for better policies, you can check out these resources on the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

She Says also has a list of resources on their website.

And if you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault and need to talk about it with someone, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE.

TRANSCRIPT

Sarah DeliaPhoto by Logan Cyrus

Sarah Delia

Photo by Logan Cyrus

Antonella Vitale- Fuitina & Reparatory Marriage

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The central tenet of today's women's movement is equality--in wages, treatment, and opportunity. But what about in love and sex? Antonella Vitale is a PhD candidate at the Graduate Center, City University of New York and she is studying the practice known as fuitina, a Sicilian term used to describe the kidnapping of a woman for the purpose of rape or elopement.  Very little has been written about it in any scholarly text. And while this may sound like an ancient practice in a far away land, in many countries the concept of reparatory marriage is still alive and well.

ANTONELLA VITALE

ANTONELLA VITALE