Keep talking about it. And don’t be afraid to empower your children to talk about it. That was a common thread of advice running through the “Surviving Sexual Assault” presentation sponsored by the Edmonds Police Department March 27 at Westgate Chapel.

“It’s not our awful. It’s their (the perpetrator’s) awful. And the more we talk about it, we get in the light,” said keynote speaker Amity Addrisi, a KING-TV journalist and weekend anchor who last year shared with viewers her own story about being sexually abused as a child. “What happens with yucky things? In the dark they grow mold. They get worse. But if we shine some light on it, it can’t grow.”

The March 27 event was moderated by Edmonds Police Officer Ashley Saunders, who came up with the idea for an educational event after responding to a sexual assault call and wanting to do something to help other victims.

Saunders asked Addrisi to participate after she watched the television reporter share her experiences when, at age 5, she was sexually abused by relatives. Addrisi explained to the Edmonds audience that her boss at KING approached her with idea of going public with her story in light of the #MeToo movement launched in the wake of sexual assault allegations against film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Addrisi said that after her report aired, “I was holding my breath because I didn’t know what to expect.” The response, she said, was positive and overwhelming. She described receiving emails from women in their 60s and 70s who had never before had the courage to share their own stories.

“I couldn’t believe how many people came out to say ‘thank you for doing this,'” she said.

To read the full story, written by Teresa Wipple, click HERE