As many of you have now heard, this past week an incoming freshman was drugged and raped by a father and his son while they all attended Preview, which is Illinois State's freshmen orientation and registration. The following day, she chose to report what happened to the Illinois State University Police Department.
Dear survivor that reported her rape,
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I want to start off by saying I am so, so sorry. I'm sorry that you had to go through what you did. I'm sorry that you were drugged. I'm sorry that your first experience with college was this one. I'm sorry that you have to go through this battle of healing.
I also want to say that you will have good days. I want to say that one day, you'll be able to function without it crossing your mind every 30 seconds. I want to say that not all college boys act that way. I want to say that not all college memories are terrible ones.
I want to thank you. Thank you for being so strong. Thank you for choosing to report your rape. I admire your strength. I admire the fact that you recognized what it was from the beginning and choosing to do something about it. I admire your courage. You are so brave. I admire that you were strong enough to talk to police. I admire that you were able to open up about what happened to you.
It's scary to face your demons, but because you had the courage to talk about it, it most likely means that the risk of that happening to anyone else by those men decreased significantly. Who knows how many times this could have happened before or what could have happened if you did not report it? The father had over 20 ecstasy pills in his pockets when he was arrested. His plans were not to keep those for himself. Because you were able to speak up, you potentially saved another person from going through this as well.
I'm praying for you. I'm praying that our university police department and counseling services did everything they could for you. I'm praying they continue to get better at how they handle these situations. Your story is very popular, but all of the other sexual assaults on our campus are not really discussed. I'm praying that this sparks Redbirds into action so that everyone always asks for consent. I'm praying that every man and woman on our campus becomes an advocate for survivors. I don't know what your plan is or who you are, but I hope you see this somehow and further your education (even if it is at another institution) so you can fulfill your dreams.
I hope you find healing, as you are already so strong. You have such a bright future. These men were malicious and terrible men, but that does not make you disgusting or unwanted. I hope you receive justice and that they spend time in jail. Because you spoke up, hopefully, they will be part of the 3% that actually see jail time. Share your story and seek healing. Hold on because this journey of healing is a rough one, but you'll be okay. You'll get through this and see a light at the end of the tunnel, where you can advocate for those that don't feel comfortable speaking up about it.
Redbirds are standing with you, praying for you, and advocating for you.
Love,
a survivor who couldn't.
*In no way am I trying to discourage or make anyone feel bad if they have not reported their rape, or if they waited a long time to do so. This is an article admiring a survivor for her strength in being able to do it the next day so that the men responsible were in custody quickly and no one else could be harmed by them.*
