Victims need to speak up about crimes suffered
By NieChelle S.
Many people have family or close friends that have experienced some form of sexual assault (SA). No one knows because the victim rarley says anything about it, and who knows how long they have been holding this in! Furthermore, the offender is still free, and even if and when they are caught, The punishment does not fit the crime. One of the biggest issues with sexual assault crimes is speaking out. If you don't speak up about your offender they can continue doing it or think it's ok and get away with it. Unfortunately it happens a lot and is an unfortunate standard. Basically, what I'm trying to say is people should speak up more about sexual assault, and those who commit sexual assault should have harsher consequences for the trauma they inflict on others.
Above all, speaking up leads to abusers being held accountable for their crimes. Victims need to speak up not only about what happened to them personally but also in the form of advocating for harsher consequences. Most of the people that's locked up for sexual assault doesn't stay in jail for a long time and I feel like that's not right. According to Amendollalle.com, some SA abusers only get 2.5 years in prison/jail. That’s not hardly enough time for the trauma they may have caused.
Secondly, SA offenders need harsher punishments for there crimes because of the long lasting mental effects their victims suffer from. Being sexually assaulted can cause pain to a person, sometimes even leading to attemped/commit suicide. According to FairfaxCounty.org, 13% of people that got sexual assault tried or did committed suicide. I feel like that's an innocent life that has been taken and when a victim of SA does commit suicide, that’s a life lost that should not have been lost. In some cases, the person who dies never even told anyone else about their SA. ome may write a letter for others to find after their death, which may mention the SA, but most don’t, and for those who don’t, people never get to hear their story or what happened to them and the person is still roaming free. If a person who commits suicide due to SA had spoken up, they could have gotten therapy and the help they needed to not make them so depressed. Speaking up is better for mental health in the long run. It’s not just suicide that can be prevented but also drug abuse, PTSD as an adult, majore depressive episodes, etc. that can happen to victims of SA.
Most people will agree that victims should speak up, but some victims might still be scared. Some people could be ashamed or scared to speak up. I do understand this, but at the same time I disagree because what they did was wrong, and if they are locked up for their crimes because you came forward and told someone about it, they can't do those kinds of crimes anymore and they can realize what they did was wrong.
Student Samiyah M. agrees with this opinion. She thinks people should definitely speak up about it so the people that committed the crime can serve their time and get what they deserve.
Student Missy H. reports, "I feel like I would agree with Niechelle because I hate how people go through stuff like that and then when the two years is up it hits you, like dang! He/she is getting out and they could be coming back for you because some people don't learn their lesson. I feel like two years is not enough honestly they need a good amount of time to realize what they did."
It seems both students are in agreement with my position. In conclusion, if something bad happens to you, speak up. It might not be easy, but it's the better choice to make in the long wrong.