<p>Janey’s friends have a difficult time acknowledging that the assault happened. And they reveal the many coping mechanisms that allow them to distance themselves from it. Janey’s friend, Nichole, has an epiphany.</p>

Episode 3: Silence

A common response to a woman coming forward about sexual assault is no response at all. Beyond the failings of law enforcement and the court system to provide justice, it is, perhaps most painfully, family and friends that let victims down.  “This Happened” is one woman’s exploration of this phenomenon. To find out why her friends and family dismissed the news that she had been sexually assaulted by someone they knew, she asks them, and records what they have to say.

In this limited five part series, you’ll hear those conversations. You’ll learn why her friends did what they did. Their answers are personal and painful, but they paint a broader picture of how rape culture works, how pervasive it is, and the damage it can do.