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Even though sexual assault affects so many of us, survivors still feel alone and isolated. Images that make light of sexual assault, such as this one, further this isolation. Survivors are afraid to reach out for support; they are afraid that what they experienced will be minimized, and they are afraid they won’t be believed. So they stay silent; they don’t get the help they need to recover from the effects of this crime and they don’t seek justice.

And it’s not only survivors who are hurt by images such as these. For over the last 40 years, sexual assault centres in Alberta have witnessed the effects of myths and stereotypes about sexual assault on the health and safety of sexual assault survivors, as well as on the health and safety of Alberta communities. The crime of sexual violence presents a major risk to public safety. Only five per cent of sexual assault survivors in Canada report the incident to police. This means that 95 per cent of sexual assault offenders are not held accountable for the crimes they committed.

The health effects of sexual assault on survivors and their families are numerous and include addictions, mental health decline and suicide. The economic costs of these crimes are estimated to be in the billions.

Over the past few days, however, my spirits have been buoyed by the passionate outcry from so many Albertans, including our political leaders at the highest levels, vehemently condemning this post and everything it stands for. And I was so encouraged when I heard Monday morning that X-Site Energy has taken responsibility for creating the image, acknowledged that this was wrong and apologized. That was the right thing to do.