By the 17th of November we had responded to 26 rape calls at the emergency room. Five of those were in the first two weeks of November alone.Sadly, statistics teach us that most rape victims are actually assaulted in their homes. Occasionally after a rape situation a victim realizes that it is unsafe to return home, either because the offender has access to her there or because her home needs safety repairs to doors and locks.
In the last month we have housed two women who survived sexual assaults and found themselves in this situation. One of the women was fleeing a husband who has an extensive history of violence and abuse. She relocated after he was incarcerated for several domestic violence charges. She was sexually assaulted in her new home by an acquaintance of the person she was staying with.
When describing her assault she says, “I like to think it has made me a stronger person, but I continue to battle with my emotions everyday and keep a lot of things bottled inside.”
Besides shelter and support the women have been assisted by Open Arms staff in working with the criminal justice system and obtaining protection orders.
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