In this final episode of Rape, the Podcast, I found the perfect way to end this series with a talk with Jamie Willis of the Greene County Family Justice Center. It's not as institutional as it sounds. They offer everything a victim needs under one roof.   Here we are at the end of this limited series. I've been surprised by the audacity of many of my guests and so happy to get to know our city's leaders who have taken this issue to heart. We have come so far and all we have to do is keep working hard to help victims of sexual assault. Thank you for listening. I'll keep tabs on my community's results from this effort and update you with some bonus episodes later on in the year.   Finally, I forgot to mention, if you think your city could use a sexual assault task force, please call your city council. Give them examples from Springfield, Missouri, and information about Family Justice Centers.    I also ask you to share this podcast with anyone who needs to hear it. Thank you! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

Stay-at-home orders, intended to protect the public and prevent widespread infection, left many victims trapped with their abusers. In this episode, I talk to Janice Thompson again about why this is happening and what we can even do about it. Then I finally talk to Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams about his role in Springfield, Missouri’s Sexual Assault Task Force, and answers questions about how far his department has come since the destruction of rape kits.     Rape, the Podcast is hosted and produced by Julie Belew and Chickedits: www.chickedits.com   If you need anything, information, a person to listen to, contact me through www.rapethepodcast.com, [email protected],  or the Rape, the Podcast Facebook Group. I have met some amazing people in this project and I’m continuously inspired by them! Thank you to everyone who has participated. You can also visit www.rainn.org for further information and help with anything related to sexual assault.  In the Springfield area, call 417-864-SAFE to talk with trained advocates ready to listen, believe, and help. Please review and rate this podcast and share with anyone you think could benefit from knowing that they aren’t alone! Thank you. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

I have a candid conversation with Springfield City Counsel Member, Phyllis Ferguson. She, along with only a few other city leaders get to turn the Sexual Assault Task Force's recommendations and turn them into reality. If you've ever wondered what the City Council does, this will give you an idea. How do we get every facet of our community to sign up for this incredible undertaking? We are gonna need your help! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

In this episode, I need to alert you to triggers as we talk with more victims about their experiences surviving sexual trauma. First, I talk with a teen who has just begun to process what happened to her when a friend violated her. Inspired by my podcast interviewees, I'm going to tell you what happened to me and since I never dealt with it, how those experiences have reappeared in my body. I also talk with Tachianna Ortis who has written a book, Surviving Trauma, about how through her many childhood and adult exposures to sexual violence, she's managed to come out on the other side with help from her church. Rape, the Podcast is hosted and produced by Julie Belew and Chickedits: www.chickedits.com If you need anything, information, a person to listen, contact me through the www.rapethepodcast.com, [email protected],  or the Rape, the Podcast Facebook Group. I have met some amazing people in this project and I’m continuously inspired by them! Thank you to everyone who has participated. You can also visit www.rainn.org for further information and help for anything related to sexual assault. Please review and rate this podcast and share with anyone you think could benefit from knowing that they aren’t alone! Thank you. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

Listen to the story of Millie Sawyer, a strong woman of color who won her freedom in Greene County before the Dred Scott case. And before you listen to this episode, check out the link below to hear my friend, Frances Cadora's podcast, Look at Me Now, Episode 9 where she talks to a life coach specializing in families that have gender issues. Fran and Sarah Kennedy discuss the importance of introducing yourself along with your pronouns. I feel like it's important for you to hear that before you hear the statistics of sexual violence in the trans community. In this episode, we'll also talk about race and underserved communities and how to stop the cycle of power and violence with fellow podcaster, Theresa Willard Hughes of: TEARING DOWN THE WALLS OF SILENCE, SECRETS AND SHAME – RAPE, CHILDHOOD SEXUAL VIOLENCE, AND INCEST.   She's a 72-year old black woman who isn't taking any more crap, exhibiting that you're never too old and it's never too late! Look at Us Now, Episode 9 Rape, the Podcast is hosted and produced by Julie Belew and Chickedits: www.chickedits.com If you need anything, information, a person to listen, contact me through www.rapethepodcast.com, [email protected],  or the Rape, the Podcast Facebook Group. I have met some amazing people in this project and I’m continuously inspired by them! Thank you to everyone who has participated. You can also visit www.rainn.org for further information and help with anything related to sexual assault.  Please review and rate this podcast and share with anyone you think could benefit from knowing that they aren’t alone! Thank you. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

Springfield Police and The SAFE Kit Initiative from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office are dusting old rape kits off and crafting a victim-friendly plan to get every single one of them tested. The results of the addition of successful DNA results to CODIS is going to be a challenge for authorities and advocates. We’ll need to be sure we are working towards a trauma-informed community to support especially the victims who end up with hits in that system. I speak with Brandi Bartel who has worked with Springfield’s The Victim Center for over 16 years about the incredible strides in Springfield alongside the metoo movement and what it means to be “trauma-informed.”   Rape, the Podcast is hosted and produced by Julie Belew and Chickedits: www.chickedits.com   If you need anything, information, a person to listen, contact me through the www.rapethepodcast.com, [email protected],  or the Rape, the Podcast Facebook Group. I have met some amazing people in this project and I’m continuously inspired by them! Thank you to everyone who has participated. You can also visit www.rainn.org for further information and help with anything related to sexual assault. Please review and rate this podcast and share with anyone you think could benefit from knowing that they aren’t alone! Thank you. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

An especially important recommendation from Springfield's Sexual Assault Task Force was to educate the community about victim rights. In the next episode, we will learn about these rights. Plus, a local survivor talks about how the community of Springfield has held her up as she goes through the arduous process of seeking justice while trying get one more predator off our streets. Finally Springfield Prosecuting Attorney, Dan Patterson will tell us more about the process.  Other communities can learn from what we are doing in my city. Please share this podcast with others hoping for a better way for survivors. Rape, the Podcast is produced by Chickedits. Visit www.chickedits.com for help editing your podcast. Please visit www.rapethepodcast for links to information discussed in this podcast. Thank you for your support! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

In this episode, we talk more about what Springfield, Missouri is doing to improve response to sexual assault. We hear more from Lisa Farmer from the Harmony House about how that organization works to help various segments of the Springfield community. Then we look at what other cities are doing and speak with Janine D’Anniballe, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and a nationally recognized expert in sexual assault and traumatic stress, and treatment for survivors who works with MESA (Moving to End Sexual Assault) serving Boulder County, Colorado. Most of our communities do have amazing individuals to help victims, and especially here in Springfield, Missouri. That means we have the tools/people to fix this systemic problem. Building a strong support system for children is vital. We also talk with a very important part of this support system, a parent of a young lady who was raped at a party. This mom talks about how hard it was to hear about what her daughter went through and sets a wonderful example for parental response.   Please review and rate this podcast. Visit www.rapethepodcast.com for more information about anything discussed in this podcast and feel free to contact Julie if you need anything, want to contribute, or even if you just want to talk. Take care of yourself and thank you for listening! Rape, the Podcast is produced by Chickedits, a full-service podcast production business powered by Julie Belew. If you have a story you’d like to tell in podcast form, or if you have a topic that you think would make a great podcast, let Chickedits help you to share it with the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

Springfield's Sexual Assault Task Force released their report on November 12, 2019. I'll tell you what was in the report and talk with task force member, Lisa Farmer from the Harmony House about the way they went about processing the tasks that the task force laid out. I also speak again with Janice Thompson about ways that everyone can help victims of rape.  The final discussion in this episode is with a former political candidate who is a survivor of child molestation. He'll tell us about the trauma in his family and since he is also a truck driver, we talk about how the truck driving industry is tackling child trafficking. How are you doing? I hope you are taking care of yourself! If you could use some TLC, please visit: https://www.rapethepodcast.com/self-care There are so many facets to cover on a podcast about sexual assault. I can't promise that I'll get to every single one, but if there is something you want to be brought to the table, please contact me via the website or Facebook.   Thank you so much for listening. I feel like, by your interest in learning about this topic, we are making a difference already.   Rape, the Podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Julie Belew of Chickedits, LLC. www.chickedits.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message

In this episode, I'll tell you more about the Springfield Police Chief's response to the CNN article and what efforts he says his department has made that were not included in CNN's reporting. Plus, our local chapter of #Metoo meets with the Chief to get questions answered. And a member or the Sexual Assault Task Force talks about how her violent ex-husband has impacted her life and the effect he's had on how she is raising her sons. I've added more information to www.rapethepodcast  to include acknowledgements, resources, self-care tips, and a way that you can help support production costs of this project. If you need to discuss something that happened to you, please call 1-800-656-HOPE or visit www.rainn.org. Rape, the Podcast is hosted and written by Julie Belew and produced by Chickedits. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rapethepodcast/message