‘Believe Me’ to air during Sexual Assault Awareness Month on KET

FRANKFORT — “Believe Me – Help and Hope for Sexual Assault Survivors” will air Tuesday, April 25 at 9 p.m. (KET 3 Kentucky Channel), Wednesday, April 26 at 1:30 p.m. (KET 3 Kentucky Channel), and Sunday, April 30 at 2 p.m. (KET).

The Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs (KASAP) has produced a statewide documentary with 12 sexual violence survivors and counselors to raise awareness of the impact of sexual assault on local communities and the resources available in Kentucky to help survivors across the Commonwealth. The hour-long documentary “Believe Me – Help and Hope for Sexual Assault Survivors” will share powerful stories from Kentucky survivors to offer hope to those with similar experiences. The documentary will air during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month on KET.

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, over half of women and nearly 1 in 3 men in the United States have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime. In Kentucky, more than 39% of women and 18% of men have experienced contact sexual violence in their lifetime. According to data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, almost half of those raped in Kentucky had their first victimization when they were under the age of 18. Additionally, 82% of first victimizations in the state happened before the age of 25.

“Sexual violence is not just a local issue. It affects every community in Kentucky, and often by people the survivor knows, as statistics show that 88% of contact sexual violence is perpetrated by an intimate partner, family member or acquaintance. With this documentary, we hope to reach all survivors of sexual violence in our state, so they know they are not alone and that there are resources available to help them,” said Missie Quillen, executive director, Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs. “We are so grateful to the survivors who were willing to share their personal stories to reach others in Kentucky with their message of hope and healing. We hope people will take the time to watch a documentary that touches on an issue that truly impacts so many of our loved ones and friends.”

KASAP is a coalition of 13 sexual assault programs and crisis centers that serve every county in the state. The organization is a unified voice against sexual violence and advocates for sexual violence survivors. KASAP’s local programs are not limited to survivors of rape but also serve survivors of sexual harassment, sexual assault or sexual violence.

Mountain Comprehensive Care Center’s Healing Program for Survivors of Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence is part of this coalition, serving Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin and Pike counties.

“We are proud to be part of this coalition and to participate in the work KASAP is doing to make a difference in our state, including with this documentary,” said Heather Greene, Healing Program director, Mountain Comprehensive Care Center. “Our work is making a difference in the local communities we serve and for the survivors who are healing. No matter when someone’s sexual assault experience occurred, whether recently or decades ago, we are here to listen and help.”

Astrae Howard, prevention coordinator at Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs said, “What happened to you is not your fault…There are people working to keep this from happening to someone else. I think that’s really important for survivors to hear – this isn’t inevitable, we can prevent this, and that is what we need to do.”

To learn more about KASAP, visit www.kasap.org.