The Penn State scandal has put the spotlight on sex crimes and their victims. Now, one Charlottesville sexual abuse survivor is speaking out. With the issue on the forefront, she wants everyone to start talking about it.
Mary Lajaunie and her husband Casey have watched the Penn State child sex abuse scandal unfold before their eyes. It's a story that isn't far from home.
"It was just like I was hiding this massive secret and honestly, it was very anxiety provoking, it was depressing," Mary said.
Mary was a victim of incest as a child and teenager, abused by two different perpetrators. It's something that both she and Casey are dealing with together.
"This is something that she's been going through for a long time and I've recently become aware of it in the past year and it has really affected all aspects of our lives," said Casey.
Mary eventually got the courage to reach out to the Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA) for help.
SARA Clinical Director Sarah Lewis stated, "They may not have known what was happening in a sexual context, but they knew it wasn't right or they knew it made them uncomfortable and that's enough."
Lewis says listening and trusting children's gut instincts about questionable situations is important.
"That in itself saves so many children, such long term issues and it really is a simple act, just believing the kid," said Lewis.
The Lajaunies say prevention starts with a conversation – "Sometimes you've got to ask the difficult questions and bring up the difficult topic to talk about."
The folks at SARA say perpetrators of sexual abuse are almost always someone that the victim knows. One in four women and one in seven men in the commonwealth are victims of sexual abuse in their lifetimes.
