HARTFORD -- Former UConn star Breanna Stewart revealed that she was molested as a child in a blog post on the Player's Tribune.
Stewart, who plays center for the Seattle Storm, described being abused over several years by someone close to her family. She finally told her parents and the offender was stopped.
She wrote:
Our experiences are different. How we cope is different. But our voices matter. I also thought about what my dad has said to me more than once:
“It’s not a dirty little secret. When you’re comfortable with it, and when you’re comfortable being open about it, you could save someone’s life.”
That’s why I’m writing this. This is bigger than me.
Donna Palomba, founder of Jane Doe No More in Naugatuck, said she is not surprised to hear Stewart's story. She has been working for years to change the conversation around sexual assault, so more victims feel comfortable coming forward.
"I believe that this crime is the most misunderstood and under-reported crime in the world," said Palomba. "And I will guarantee you that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, remaining silent to this day."
Palomba, reiterating the message at the end of Stewart's post, encouraging victims to speak up. "Please tell someone, and if they don't believe you, keep telling someone you trust until you are believed," said Palomba. "And hopefully, as a society, we will begin by believing now."
For more information about Jane Doe No More, click here.
The "#MeToo" campaign response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal and its ensuing fall out. Now, women across the country and the world are using the hashtag and social media to bring awareness to abuse and harassment women receive.