Community comes together to support victims of sexual abuse
NORWICH – An evening of information and testimonials from the victims of sexual assault concluded with a march to the Chenango County Courthouse and a candlelight vigil during Thursday’s Take Back the Night rally.
The rally, held in the community room at Morrisville State college, began at 6 p.m. as Catholic Charities Rape Counselor Beth Neuland welcomed those in attendance and thanked the crowd for coming together to support the victims of sexual assault.
“Every two and a half minutes, a sexual assault occurs in this country,” Neuland said. “Sexual assaults are usually termed crimes of silence, but with Take Back the Night, tonight, that silence is broken.”
The evening’s events included an interfaith prayer by Pastor Tom Olsen, who read an excerpt from Psalm 55.
Norwich Police Department Sergeant Patrick Blenis addressed the crowd, discussing his history with the department and how sexual assaults are investigated. “I’ve been a police officer for 15 years in the City of Norwich. Three years I spent as an investigator, and in that time, I handled a fair amount of sexual assaults,” Blenis said. “We treat each case with as much professionalism as possible.”
While the number of sexual assaults reported in the last year is on the decline, Blenis said he believes the numbers are severely under reported. “Many victims don’t want to come forward, either because a family member is involved or because they feel ashamed,” Blenis said. In 2007, the Norwich PD saw 14 reported sexual assaults, in 2008 Blenis said there were six.
Catholic Charities Counselor Anne Brightsen also spoke at Thursday’s event, explaining the services offered by Catholic Charities and how the counselors try to help victims make the transition to survivors.
One survivor, Theresa, addressed the crowd, discussing her own journey to overcome abuse. “I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse,” Theresa told the crowd. She explained that she was physically and sexually abused by her step-father for 10 years, starting when she was just 6. At 17, Theresa left the abusive situation, setting out on her own, but when her younger sister came to her to tell her about the things that were still going on, Theresa worked to get her mother and three younger siblings away from the abuse as well.
Just a few years later, Theresa entered her own troubled marriage. “At 19, I entered marriage with a man 12 years older than I was and suffered repeated sexual abuse in that marriage,” she said. For 15 years, she stayed in the abusive situation. “I stayed for my kids. I didn’t want to ruin the idea of the perfect family we had created,” she said explaining that no one was aware of the abusive side of the relationship. “Finally I came to realize that staying in that relationship was teaching my daughters that it was okay for a man to treat them that way, and I was teaching my sons that it was OK to treat a woman that way,” Theresa said.
Since then, Theresa said she bought her own house, her own car and is now in a healthy relationship. “I’m happy now. I feel like I’ve finally come out the other side.”
Morrisville student Tracy Buckley concluded the rally by singing “Thank You” by Natalie Merchant. Following the rally, participants gathered signs and marched from the college to the Chenango County Courthouse for a candlelight vigil.
The rally, held in the community room at Morrisville State college, began at 6 p.m. as Catholic Charities Rape Counselor Beth Neuland welcomed those in attendance and thanked the crowd for coming together to support the victims of sexual assault.
“Every two and a half minutes, a sexual assault occurs in this country,” Neuland said. “Sexual assaults are usually termed crimes of silence, but with Take Back the Night, tonight, that silence is broken.”
The evening’s events included an interfaith prayer by Pastor Tom Olsen, who read an excerpt from Psalm 55.
Norwich Police Department Sergeant Patrick Blenis addressed the crowd, discussing his history with the department and how sexual assaults are investigated. “I’ve been a police officer for 15 years in the City of Norwich. Three years I spent as an investigator, and in that time, I handled a fair amount of sexual assaults,” Blenis said. “We treat each case with as much professionalism as possible.”
While the number of sexual assaults reported in the last year is on the decline, Blenis said he believes the numbers are severely under reported. “Many victims don’t want to come forward, either because a family member is involved or because they feel ashamed,” Blenis said. In 2007, the Norwich PD saw 14 reported sexual assaults, in 2008 Blenis said there were six.
Catholic Charities Counselor Anne Brightsen also spoke at Thursday’s event, explaining the services offered by Catholic Charities and how the counselors try to help victims make the transition to survivors.
One survivor, Theresa, addressed the crowd, discussing her own journey to overcome abuse. “I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse,” Theresa told the crowd. She explained that she was physically and sexually abused by her step-father for 10 years, starting when she was just 6. At 17, Theresa left the abusive situation, setting out on her own, but when her younger sister came to her to tell her about the things that were still going on, Theresa worked to get her mother and three younger siblings away from the abuse as well.
Just a few years later, Theresa entered her own troubled marriage. “At 19, I entered marriage with a man 12 years older than I was and suffered repeated sexual abuse in that marriage,” she said. For 15 years, she stayed in the abusive situation. “I stayed for my kids. I didn’t want to ruin the idea of the perfect family we had created,” she said explaining that no one was aware of the abusive side of the relationship. “Finally I came to realize that staying in that relationship was teaching my daughters that it was okay for a man to treat them that way, and I was teaching my sons that it was OK to treat a woman that way,” Theresa said.
Since then, Theresa said she bought her own house, her own car and is now in a healthy relationship. “I’m happy now. I feel like I’ve finally come out the other side.”
Morrisville student Tracy Buckley concluded the rally by singing “Thank You” by Natalie Merchant. Following the rally, participants gathered signs and marched from the college to the Chenango County Courthouse for a candlelight vigil.
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