HOUSTON – A rape victim survives and thrives as an advocate, and the Houston's Special Victims Unit on this week's Houston Newsmakers.
Lorin Crater was 15 years old when she was raped. The physical pain was bad. The emotional pain was much worse. She says it was months before she was able to turn the corner by contacting the Houston Area Women's Center.
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"I found all the people that helped assure me that it wasn't my fault, that I was going to be ok again," Crater said.
Crater joins Khambrel Marshall on this week's Houston Newsmakers to talk about how she has not only survived but thrived as a sexual assault prevention advocate.
Rebecca White, the President & CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center, says their goal is to make sure anyone suffering an assault knows the HAWC is there 24/7 to help, no matter how long ago the assault.
"So many people don't tell anyone," White said. "They don't disclose to anyone and think it's behind them and then something will trigger. That's ok. Give us a call. We can still help. It's not too late."
Also this week, the Houston Police Department Special Victims Unit. Sgt. Jeanette Perales is supervisor of the Child Sexual Abuse Unit, and Sgt. Michelle Gallagher heads the Child Abuse Unit where she says the HPD investigators are supremely focused.
"They genuinely care about each and every case assigned to them and they want justice for the kids," said Gallagher.
Dr. Robert Sanborn is President and CEO of Children at Risk. He says it's time to make parenting part of our public policy. He says research has shown that when parents learn parenting skills, the incidents of child abuse go down.
"Let's say we're going to be very proactive about this and we're going to as public policy, we're going to start teaching young parents, old parents, new parents how to be good parents," Sanborn said.
The challenge will be to get governmental support which is something he will be pushing for in Austin.
Potentially life-saving information for the women and children in our lives! Watch Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall each Sunday at 10 a.m., right after Meet the Press with David Gregory.
More Information:
- Rebecca White, President & CEO, Houston Area Women's Center, 713-528-6798
- Sgt Jeanette Perales, Supervisor, HPD Child Sexual Abuse Unit, 713-308-1400
- Sgt. Michelle Gallagher, HPD Child Sexual Abuse Unit, 713-884-3131,
- Robert Sanborn, Ph.D., President & CEO, Children at Risk, 713-869-7740