As details about a former Cornell University student’s rape allegation unfold publicly, women are rallying on social media to express support for the woman known as “Jane Doe.” They are sharing their own experiences with sexual assault on campus and what they say were inadequate responses from their universities and their police departments, with some coalescing around the hashtag #iamjanedoe.
Liz Roberts, the CEO of Safe Horizon, a victim advocacy organization, said, “A case like this is really going to hit home for a lot of us.”
“Even for those of us who aren’t survivors ourselves, we have undoubtedly been touched by sexual violence through the experience of a loved one or a friend or a colleague,” she said.
Roberts urged survivors to reach out for help and take care of their mental health, as national conversations about the Cornell allegations may be a struggle for people who experienced sexual violence.
“It is really OK to recognize that you know your trauma can be restimulated by stories like this and you might need support again,” she said.