WJCL - Community comes together to take stand against abuse

Community comes together to take stand against abuse

Dozens gathered in Beaufort on Friday night to take a stand against sexual abuse, domestic abuse and child abuse as part of the 6th annual Take Back the Night event.

Dozens gathered in Beaufort on Friday night to take a stand against sexual abuse, domestic abuse and child abuse as part of the 6th annual Take Back the Night event.

"Today I am still healing and it is things like this that is going to open the door for me to hopefully accept that that is the past and I can deal with today, just today. Just let me get through today," said Marta, a local resident and survivor of child abuse.

Marta was joined by other survivors of abuse on Friday night at the event, which was held at the Waterfront Pavilion. The survivors spoke about their experiences and how they are dealing with the trauma they endured.

Jane Carson-Sandler was raped more than 40 years ago and her attacker has still not been caught. She told other survivors on Friday night to never give up.

"I would just like to tell other women that they too can can get through never they are dealing with. Do take time to grieve but it is really important to reach out and get help," said Carson-Sandler.

Help is exactly what Hopeful Horizons, the organizers of Take Back the Night, aimed to provide with this event.

"This is a crime that often thrives on silence and this is the way we want to we want to provide a platform to the community to come together and be able to give voice to these issues that are very critical," said Shauw Chin Capps, the Chief Executive Officer of Hopeful Horizons.

"One of the ways we can diminish and stop these is getting the word out, awareness," said Beaufort Police Chief Matthew Clancy.

“We say no, no more to child abuse. No more to intimate partner violence. No more to sexual violence. We say no more to blaming the victim. No more to boys will boys. No more to a culture that objectifies women and girls,” said James Morrall, the Director of Prevention and Outreach at Hopeful Horizons.

If you would like to volunteer for Hopeful Horizons you can visit hopefulhorizons.org

The organization served 1,495 women and children in the Lowcountry in 2016.

To watch the video, click here: http://www.wjcl.com/article/community-comes-together-to-take-stand-against-abuse/9249176