I just watched that interview about the Cornell 57 case, and what stood out to me was hearing a prosecutor focus on how the victim first said it was consensual and how long it took her to report. That is exactly the kind of reaction that makes survivors shut down in the first place. I know that because I am a survivor of human trafficking, and I did not testify until the U.S. Marshals arrested me and transported me to court. What happened to me was still real, even though fear and trauma delayed everything.

This is bigger than one case. Survivors of sexual violence and trafficking do not all report right away, and many of us do not tell our stories in a perfect, linear, courtroom-ready way. We are scared of not being believed. We are scared of being questioned by police officers, cross-examined by defense attorneys, and forced to relive the most egregious things that ever happened to us. When prosecutors publicly treat delayed reporting like a reason for doubt, they send a message to every survivor watching: stay quiet, because your trauma will be used against you.

That has to change. Prosecutors' offices should require trauma-informed training for every prosecutor who handles sexual violence, trafficking, and abuse cases, including training on delayed reporting, trauma responses, and why survivors may initially minimize or deny what happened. Prosecutors are supposed to pursue justice, not reinforce the same disbelief that keeps victims from coming forward. If they are going to handle these cases, they need to understand what trauma actually looks like.

I am asking you to sign this petition if you believe survivors deserve to be taken seriously, even when trauma does not fit people's expectations. No victim should be doubted just because healing took time. Add your name and help demand a system that does not punish survivors for surviving.