Attend this reading of the Stanford victim’s statement at City Hall

“You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.”

Thus begins the harrowing first-person account of the night a young woman was sexually assaulted by a Stanford undergraduate named Brock Turner, who later was sentenced to only six months in county jail. The victim’s post-conviction statement has gone viral in the past few weeks and ignited outcry against rape culture. Public readings have since taken place in Congress, in the N.Y.C. mayor’s office and on CNN.

Tomorrow afternoon, Philadelphia will host a similar event: Organized by the Office of Councilwoman Helen Gym, the Mayor’s Commission on Women and the Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement, local activists and community members will read the entirety of the victim’s letter at City Hall.

ROAR for Good‘s founders, Yasmine Mustafa and Anthony Gold, will each partake in reading the letter aloud.
Mustafa said they were connected to the organizers because of their work in fighting violence against women; a percentage of the proceeds from every Athena safety device purchased will be donated to similarly minded nonprofits.

“Our entire mission — and reason for existence — is to help reduce assaults and empower women,” she said. “It’s also why we’re honored to be part of this event. The Stanford rape case has heightened issues that need to be brought to the forefront — how rape culture blames victims, how toxic masculinity perpetuates attackers, and how much work our legal system still needs.”