Bronx survivor speaks out for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
NEW YORK - It's Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and officials at the Bronx district attorney's office says it's an important time to educate the community about the services offered in the borough. They say the amount of people reporting incidents is increasing.
CBS2's Shosh Bedrosian spoke one-on-one with a survivor in the Bronx about her journey to healing and the services that got her through it.
"This is my home, so I've always kind of felt like overwhelmingly safe," said Stephanie Martinez.
There's one moment in 2020 that has now shaped 26-year-old Martinez's life.
"It didn't take really much time for him to catch up to me, and he kind of pinned me to a car that was waiting for a red light," said Martinez.
Martinez shares with CBS2 her story of bravery about fighting off an attacker who assaulted her in the Bronx. She said three men eventually came to her aid and made a citizen's arrest until police arrived.
"The police officer on the scene told me that there wasn't anything they would be able to do, that this wasn't something I would be able to press charges over," she explained.
In complete shock with what the officer said, Martinez shows CBS2 the notes she took at the scene about where to make a complaint, where her attacker was taken to and, defiant from the start, that she knew she wanted to press charges.
"I didn't care if someone told me that nothing really happened to me, because something did," she said. Martinez says that's when she got in touch with an assistant district attorney at the Bronx DA's office.
"She validated everything that I was feeling. She walked me through the entire process," said Martinez.
"We want to help you as far as putting you on a path towards healing," explains Adrienne Giunta, the Deputy Chief at the Special Victims Division.
Giunta says the Bronx experiences a significant amount of sexual violence, and through a trauma-informed approach, they work with many victims who decide to come forward at their own pace.
"If it's from weeks, months, years down the line, understanding that there are people here and willing to help," said Giunta.
Officials at the Bronx DA's office tell CBS2 they help survivors of sexual assault from when they report the incident to providing them services like therapy. They say on average, they make referrals over 200 times per month.
"Everything is not just the criminal part, but the human part," explains Evelyn Trinidad-Armenia, the acting director for children family services at Bronx DA's office. "This is no longer, are we going to be silent and we're gonna keep things secret. We're gonna share, and we're going to help."
"You are not what happened to you. I am not defined by what happened to me. I'm Stephanie. I'm always going to be Stephanie, and as long as you can get to the point where you can comfortably live with yourself, I think you'll be OK," said Martinez.
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