On April 6, MOCSA, police, and St. Luke’s Hospital joined together to declare “Start by Believing Day.”
It’s an effort to help sexual assault victims report what happened and be met with a response that is loving and encouraging, rather than negative and questioning.
Kendra Black knows the feeling.
"It was a nightmare,” she said of her own sexual assault, which happened in 2007. "It's hard enough to disclose. You know, it's hard enough to tell someone when you were at your lowest point and when someone opens up, you know, not to meet them with the questions... ‘what were you doing,’ ‘did you cause anything,’ ‘what were you wearing.’"
MOCSA worked with more than 2,000 victims like Black in 2015.
Saint Luke’s was the first private hospital in the U.S. to have the tools to treat victims of sexual assault. Last year, the hospital helped more than 100 people.
"Well, it's important to have the specific cameras to capture the injuries and document that, to be used properly in criminal cases,” said Dr. Michael Weaver.
The overall goal is to help victims report their assaults and be met with a response that lets them begin healing.
"Just to have all the negativity and to know that people close to you did not believe you...it's hurtful, and it's hurtful to the healing process,” Black explained.
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Lexi Sutter can be reached at lexi.sutter@kshb.com.
