TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan (WABC) — Several dozen advocates and survivors gathered in Times Square on Monday as Safe Horizon marked two years since Jane Doe was allegedly raped at Cornell University.
The rally was held as part of the organization’s “Trauma Takes Time” public awareness campaign, which aims to elevate awareness about victims of sexual assault.
Advocates and survivors shared their experiences during the event in Times Square. Organizers said they heard from survivors of rape and sexual assault, both men and women, with some speaking publicly for the first time.
“Why do we question how long it took someone to speak? Instead of asking what made it so difficult to speak up?” survivor and advocate Ana Wagner said.
Several other survivors described waiting years before speaking about what happened to them.
“A 33-year-old teammate sexually abused me. This went on for months. I did not speak up for 16 years,” survivor and victims’ rights director Bridie Farrell said.
Leana Pardo, a survivor and executive director of the North Brooklyn Coalition Against Family Violence, said, “I was raped in 2020, and it took four years to report after I saw his face floating around Facebook in a wanted poster.”
Survivor and Safe Horizon ambassador Maya McHenry also spoke at the rally.
“Standing here today is especially meaningful to me because part of my experience with sexual assault happened right here in Times Square,” McHenry said.
Safe Horizon CEO Liz Roberts described a public service announcement showing survivors holding signs indicating how long it took them to speak about their experiences.
Roberts also discussed trauma and memory recall, saying, “There’s a cultural overlay around sexual violence that makes it even more complicated, even more difficult to make sense of.”
Other survivors shared their experiences at the rally.
“I cannot change what happened to me. I was 9. He was 40 something,” Wagner said.
Advocates at the rally called for an end to shaming, questioning and blaming survivors.
“We’ve been able to change laws. We’ve been able to change social norms. We still have a long way to go. And I think the reality of what we’re experiencing right now is that we’re in the midst of a backlash,” Roberts said.
The event was part of more than 200 “I Am Jane” rallies held across the country in at least 40 states. Similar gatherings took place at Columbia University and Foley Square in New York City.
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