Tag Archive for: Support

Victims deserve support and a voice in true crime stories

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For many of us, we are highly fascinated with true crime stories. From podcasts to Netflix series, the genre of true crime continues to grow and can spur many important conversations around social justice inequities. However, it can also resurface trauma for victims and their loved ones who are impacted by these crimes.

Such is the case in the recent Netflix series Dahmer – Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, the dramatization of real-life events that occurred in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1978-1991, depicting the horrific and criminal acts of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The television series, directed by Ryan Murphy, debuted on Netflix in October 2022 and became the second most watched series on the streaming platform.

Crime television shows, both dramatic and documentary style, have been long established. Shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Crime Beat are staples in the true crime genre. What these shows have in common is their focus on impact of the crimes on the affected communities. They are created with care and detail to honour the victims’ stories.

Since Making a Murder in 2015, Netflix has pumped out many biographical crime dramas and documentaries focusing on serial killers over the last few years. The Sons of Sam: Decent into Darkness, Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes, and Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer are a few of what are streaming today. There is also the 2019 film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, featuring Zack Efron as serial killer Ted Bundy.

The concern with these types of series and films is not the genre itself, but the possibility of glorifying the serial killers.

Dahmer – Monster is a deep dive into the killer’s life and left many viewers with the impression that it was anything other than victim-centred, appearing to glorify Dahmer’s horrific criminal acts. The series failed to show the impacts of the crimes on the victims, their family members, loved ones and the community at large. It could be thought Dahmer – Monster focused on sensationalizing the victims and their family’s pain.

A question that should be asked by a viewer is not why the serial killer became this way, but how the crimes impacted society. Like in the case of Dahmer, there are many social justice inequities that can been highlighted, such as the impact of the crimes on the black and LGBTQ+ community along with racial and policing issues in Milwaukee.

The victims connected to all of these stories have loved ones, family members and friends who are still walking around today. Each show, book and retelling of the story asks them to relive their trauma and loss.

Another question that should be asked of the true crime genre is if this story needs to be told once again in such a dramatized fashion? Perhaps the answer can be “yes” if the series or story focuses on the impact of the crimes and has a victim-centred narrative.

The Central Alberta Support Centre (CASASC) is a place of support for victims of sexual assault and violence. Along with providing specialized police and court support, CASASC offers supportive reporting. In a nutshell this victim-centred program provides victims of historical sexual assault options on reporting in a supportive and comfortable atmosphere outside of the detachment.

As a collaborative program between the Red Deer City RCMP and CASASC, supportive reporting allows victims to meet with a plain-clothed RCMP member at a comfortable place and time to ask questions and receive information about the criminal justice system process, before deciding to report or not.

CASASC also offers a 24 hour help line for those looking for support with dealing with sexual violence impacts. Call or text 1-866-956-1099, or webchat at www.casasc.ca for confidential support, information and referrals.

Sarah Maetche is the communications and administration manager at the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre.

Article as published in the Red Deer Advocate on January 10, 2023.

2022 Front Line Service Providers’ Awards

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The CASASC team attended the 2022 Front Line Service Providers’ Awards on Nov. 28 at the Red Deer Resort and Casino.

The 18th annual awards ceremony, hosted by the Domestic and Relationship Violence Committee (DRVIC), is a time for front line service providers to come together to recognize each other and the meaningful work being done within these communities.

CASASC Crisis Support and SART Manager Erin Willmer was nominated for a Front Line Service Providers’ Award for working collaboratively with her colleagues and community partners as a compassionate leader, support and community connector.

“Erin is compassionate and caring and exemplifies respect, knowledge and leadership. She advocates for clients and those impacted by sexual violence and places their needs at the highest priority. Erin wears multiple ‘hats’ within her roles as a manager, front line responder, volunteer coordinator, team lead etc. and is excellent at switching between these roles in appropriate and knowledgeable ways.”

“Empowering victims on their next steps, Erin leads with compassion, care and respect.”

CASASC would like to congratulate all of the nominees and recipients at this year’s award ceremony.

Have a “hot” consent summer

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By Sarah Maetche

Summer is finally here. It’s time to come out of our dormant Alberta spring/winter shells and have a hot consent summer.

Like Megan the Stallion said about “hot girl summer,” we can enjoy this summer feeling confident in who we are, have fun and practice consent while doing it.

Coming out of our post-COVID reality, many are ready to get back to the things they enjoy – like hitting the beach, patios, going to social events, backyard barbeques, camping, rodeos and outdoor sporting events – especially during the summer months.

The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) encourages you to be mindful as you go about these and many more social activities with the phrase “only yes means yes” when it comes to consent in your mind.

This is the idea behind CASASC’s campaign Only Yes Means Yes (OYMY) – speaking positively about consent to change our community for the better.

Consent is an important concept in sexual violence prevention. OYMY focuses on what positive consent can sound and look like as a way to promote healthy relationships and increase a greater sense of consent culture. OYMY changes the way we look at and understand consent.

Many of us may be familiar with the saying “no means no.” This is a frequently used statement when talking about consent. This statement indicates that we are always saying “yes” until we say the word or indicate “no,” which is a lack of consent. This statement tells people that unless they indicated “no,” that was clear and understood by both involved individuals, they were giving consent.

With OYMY, we have turned the above “no” conversation on its’ head. This campaign challenges the consent conversation by reinforcing that an individual is always conveying a lack of consent (always saying “no”). The default for consent then is “no.”

It’s literally a “no” until they say “yes” with their words, their actions or with their body. Consent can only happen when a person actively and consciously says “yes” and gives/shows their consent.

Consent can be simply defined as this: a voluntary agreement between people who want to do something together. Yes, this of course applies to sexual activity, but it also applies to our everyday lives, with things like driving down Lakeshore Drive in Sylvan Lake, lining up to get ice cream at the Little Ice Cream and Soda Shoppe, attending a staff backyard party and on. When defined like this, consent applies to everyday life.

Consent is given freely. It’s chosen and ongoing.

This is why we all should aim to have a hot consent summer. Showing and saying an enthusiastic “yes” is letting that other person know that you are interested in the summer activity.

Here’s an easy way, or rather process, to give consent: 1) Know how to ask for consent. Your words matter, 2) Saying and/or showing a “yes” or “no” for yourself, 3) Hearing and/or seeing if the other person is saying “yes” or “no” and 4) Recognizing and respecting the other person’s yes or no. That’s the process – knowing, saying, hearing, recognizing and then respecting.

Sarah Maetche is the communications and administration manager at the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre.

Article as published in the Red Deer Advocate on July 7, 2022.

What we can learn from the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation case

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By Sarah Maetche and Carlia Schwab

Like so many out there, we have been combing through the depths of Twitter and reading story after story on the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial. After six weeks of testimony, and with the jury currently in deliberation at the time of writing, society has seen a gut-wrenching exposure of these two working actors’ relationship.

Depp, known from the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Tim Burton films to name a few, claims a 2018 op-ed written by Heard where she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse,” defamed him – his career and his reputation.

Heard, known from films like Aquaman, Justice League and The Danish Girl, has countersued with the claim that Depp’s attorney called her abuse allegations a “hoax.”

The defamation trial taking place in Virgina has been live-streamed and watched by millions across the globe. Depp has received waves of support on TikTok and Twitter, showing the scales of social media justice seem to be tipped his way.

Depp and Heard were married in 2015 after meeting on the set of the film The Rum Diary. Their relationship has been volatile with a highly public divorce, multiple court appearances and accusations of both verbal and physical abuse, including sexual violence during their relationship. The defamation trail has become yet another vehicle baring the shell of their relationship.

After the verdict of the trial is heard, the court of public opinion will also have its’ ruling. In the aftermath of this over exposure, there is much we can learn from this case and how it translates into a review of support services for all survivors of domestic violence.

Individuals will no doubt offer their opinions of the pair’s relationship, the information brought to light during the trial and the outcome of the trial, often in strong alignment to either Heard or Depp’s experiences.

Open dialogue and conversations are needed in this space, shifting away from a Depp vs. Heard, “she said vs. he said” narrative, or victim blaming statements towards an empathetic understanding that both individuals have experiences of being harmed by violence and participating in harmful, often violent, behaviors.

We can learn a lot from this case, in particular how society attributes violence and victim-identifying characteristics disproportionately to one gender over another. Media and public opinion often portray domestic violence impacts and the realities of survivors as highly one-gendered and female supported, often to the detriment of male identified survivors who are too looking for support.

Placing fame, wealth, socio-economic status, popularity, power, privilege, gender and sexual orientation aside, both male and female identified individuals can be impacted by and be survivors of domestic violence.

When engaging in conversations, providing support to disclosures of violence, and deep diving into media stories, we encourage individuals to focus not only on what their beliefs, thoughts and attitudes are about this case, but to be open to alternative ways of understanding domestic and relationship violence. Every individual who has experience violence should be offered support and understanding. They should have access to support without the fear of judgement, retribution, victim blaming or of not being believed.

Over half of adult Albertans have supported, or knows someone, who has experienced sexual violence. Given the highly public and social nature of the Depp vs. Heard defamation case, consider the tone of conversations you have. You can offer an open, unbiased and supportive space for your friends, family and peers to connect and debrief, and seek out resources for support. Remember that anyone of any gender can be impacted by violence and deserves access to support.

Sarah Maetche is the communications and administration manager at the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre. Carlia Schwab is the education and community relations manager at the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre.

Article as published in the Red Deer Advocate.

A million reasons why

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By Sarah Maetche

There are a million reasons why someone who has experienced sexual or family violence won’t come forward.

Sometimes there are threats to safety. Sometimes they are threatened with legal action. Other times, the person who abused the individual holds a position of power over the victim. There are a many valid reasons why someone would not come forward to tell their story or seek justice.

Actress and activist for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse Evan Rachel Wood recently came forward and named her abuser. Following years of speculation of who was her unnamed abuser, Wood released a statement claiming she suffered years of horrific abuse by shock rocker Marilyn Manson.

In her appearance on the daytime TV show The View, Wood detailed some of the reasons why she didn’t come forward or name her abuser for over a decade. She has also recently released a documentary on the subject called Phoenix Rising.

On the talk show Wood stated that there are a million reasons why someone might not come forward such as trauma, intimidation, going up against someone who is powerful with many resources and fear of retaliation.

“Society around this issue is so geared around shame, blame and victim blaming and that is by design,” said Wood. “Even the way we speak about these things. We are still asking victim the question why they didn’t leave. And the fact that we are still asking that question tells me how much work there is to do.

“Nobody ever asks why the abuser didn’t leave,” she added. “We are programmed to ask these questions. We need to start asking different questions.”

“I am sad, because this is how it works,” said Wood who is now being sued by her alleged abuser. “This is what pretty much every survivor that tries to expose someone in a position of power goes though, and this is part of the retaliation that keeps survivors quiet. This is why people don’t want to come forward.”

There are also a million reasons why someone experiencing sexual or family violence didn’t leave an abusive relationship. These are some frequent questions we often hear asked of victims: “Why didn’t you leave?,” “Why did you tolerate the abuse?,” and “Why didn’t you do something?”

We seem to be constantly asking questions to the victim of the abuse. With this “why” narrative played over and over again, we imply some type of responsibility or blame onto the victim. This is a dangerous and slippery slope we should avoid continuing to perpetuate.

English singer-songwriter FKA twigs recently pushed back on this question after an interviewer asked her why she didn’t leave an abusive relationship.

“We have to stop asking that question,” said twigs in the interview. “I’m not going to answer that question any more. Because the question should really be to the abuser: why are you holding someone hostage with abuse? People say it can’t have been that bad, because else you would’ve left. But it’s like, no, it’s because it was that bad, I couldn’t leave.”

To avoid victim blaming and to work towards eliminating violence in our community, we can flip this narrative and start asking questions like “Why are you abusing this person you claim to love?” to the abuser. The first question in our minds should be “why didn’t the abuser stop their behaviour?” The sole responsibility of the abuse and violence should be placed on the abuser.

Like Wood said, let’s start asking different questions.

Sarah Maetche is the communications and administration manager at the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Centre.

Article as published in the Red Deer Advocate on April 1, 2022

 

Support groups for LGBTQ2IA+ community launched

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Members of the LGBTQ2IA+ community who are healing from sexual violence will soon have some more support.

The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) in partnership with the Red Deer Queer Community Association (RDQCA) will be offering support groups for LGBTQ2IA+ youths and adult survivors next month.

The support groups will be facilitated virtually and will give members of the LGBTQ2IA+ community who are survivors of sexual violence an opportunity to feel accepted, heard and understood.

“Sexual violence can have psychological, emotional, and physical effects on any survivor regardless of race, religion, age, or gender,” said CASASC Executive Director Patricia Arango. “Overall, the survivor support groups allow young women and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals affected by sexual violence to discover new ways to cope and link with other survivors to develop a sense of community which survivors might be missing in their lives.”

Arango said the groups are designed to encourage individuals who have been affected by sexual violence to regain their voice in a space of healing.

“We are giving them the ability to take back their power,” she said.

Support groups have restorative effects to survivors as they create safe spaces where individuals feel comfortable not only expressing their feelings, but to talk about the impacts of sexual violence has on their lives. Individuals in the groups can begin to heal through support facilitated by RDQCA hosts and trained counsellors of CASASC.

“RDQCA is thrilled to be working with CASASC as the organization has always been a huge advocate for the LGBTQ2IA+ community,” said RDQCA Chairperson Rhys Pugatschew. “RDQCA hopes this group will help LGBTQ2IA+ folk find their community and heal together. Being a part of the community has never been easy and we hope this program will bring everyone together during this difficult time.”

The support groups are funded through the Fund for Gender Equality. The Fund for Gender Equality is supported by a collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund, with support from the Government of Canada.

The virtual group sessions launch next month with the adult group starting on May 6 at 5:30 p.m. and youth group starting May 8 at 2:30 p.m.

For more information or to sign up contact CASASC at 403-340-1124 or email reddeerqueercommunity@gmail.com

Find more info on RDQCA here 

Rotary Club of Red Deer supports help line

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The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) recently received funding from the Rotary Club of Red Deer.

CASASC Executive Director Patricia Arango accepted the $5,000 grant funding from Rotary Club members during their virtual monthly meeting on January 11.

The grant awarded to CASASC supports the ongoing operation of the 24 Sexual Violence Text, Webchat and Phone Help Line.

The help line is a community-driven support line available to anyone within the community, anytime of the day, who is affected by sexual violence. Anonymous, confidential support, information and referrals are provided through this volunteer-driven help line. Whether you’ve recently experienced sexual violence, you are a friend of someone who has in the past, or you are a support person who has a question, trained volunteers are there to listen and support. They are here to connect with you where you are and empower you to your next steps towards healing. This line is available to anyone in need across Alberta.

The 24 help line provides around the clock support in real-time, assisting with immediate issues of stress, distress or triggers. During the pandemic the help line saw a substantial increase: in July 2020 the help line saw a 234% increase in demand for service compared to July 2019. A 90.3% increase for service was recorded from June 2020 to July 2020.

The funds from the Rotary Club were generated from the Annual Christmas Donation campaign. Four other community organizations in Red Deer also recieved funds.

 

Giving Tuesday – Comfort items drive

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Tuesday, Dec. 1st is Giving Tuesday, a global movement for giving and volunteering which takes place each year after Black Friday.

This year CASASC is launching a donation drive to collect comfort items for the SART (in-hospital) program.

CASASC offers a 24-hour Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). This team is a collaborative partnership between CASASC and the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. Together support and treatment is provided to those who have experienced recent sexual assault.

The Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre completes sexual assault exams for anyone within the Central Alberta Region and is the main regional artery and contact for towns and cities between Edmonton and Calgary. If a survivor decides to seek medical support at the hospital, it is reassuring to know a trained team is there to meet them and provide the best patient care and support.

When in the hospital, the survivor may also choose to speak with a CASASC trained SART member, who provide information and support. SART members offer each individual a care package that includes comfort items like a blanket, a stuffed animal, slippers or socks or a journal.

These comfort items provide individuals with a small piece of solace during a trying time. Each pair of slippers or blanket provided show compassion, care and love from the community.

SART members are there not only to support the survivor, but also their family members or anyone who may have come with them to the hospital.

The Central Alberta SART team provides in-hospital support to over 125 individuals each year.

Comfort items being collected include:

  • Slippers and/or fuzzy socks
  • Blankets
  • Journals

Due to COVID restrictions, only new items (or newly knitted items) are being accepted at this time.

Donations will be accepted between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the CASASC main office (A201, 5212 48 Street). A donation bin will be set up in the front lobby area, just inside the doorway. Alberta Health Services guidelines will be strictly followed to protect the well-being of donors, clients, staff and community members.

Monetary donations will be accepted at the main office (cash, credit or cheque). Online donations to this campaign are accepted via our CanadaHelps page www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/central-alberta-sexual-assault-centre/comfort-and-care

 

Supportive Reporting offers safe space

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The Supportive Reporting Program is offered to survivors of historical sexual assault that have not yet reported the incident(s).

The RCMP works collaboratively with CASASC to arrange for a trauma-informed, plain clothes police officer to meet the client at a non-police location. When at this location, options for reporting the crime, providing a statement and initiating an investigation are discussed.

The CASASC Police, Community + Court Support Worker is an advocate and source of information for the client – that safe guiding presence throughout the process.

To offer these services to survivors, the RCMP unit collaborates with a number of agencies in Red Deer including the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, CASASC, Southern Alberta Integrated Child Exploitation Unit and the Red Deer Hospital Sexual Assault Response Team.

Find more info here about CASASC’s Police, Community + Court Support Program.

Soroptimist International of Central Alberta supports CASASC

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The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) recently received a donation from Soroptimist International of Central Alberta.

CASASC Communications Specialist Sarah Maetche (left) accepted the $2,150 donation from a Soroptimist representative along with other receiving organizations on Thursday, June 25.

The funds were generated from the Vagina Monologues event held in February. The Soroptimists raised a total of $17,200 and channeled the funds to seven organizations that support women and girls in the central Alberta region.