Your Voice is Your Medicine - Pt 6

I was told the police would be no help if I reported what had happened to me. However, I knew I would fight for my personal justice. 

Me and my father, I love him so much. My dad had a harsh
comment about how the police wouldn't help me. I know
he loves me and was ultimately upset about what had happened.

The first person I spoke to to tell of my abuse was my father (My mom didn't answer her phone, or I would have spoken with her first). I remember his reaction was angry, "Why were you alone with him, you should of never been alone with him." I tried to explain, I knew my father was just upset. He told me he'd talk to my mom and call me back.

Several minutes later, my mother called me. I remember her being nearly as frantic as I was, but trying to be sweet and comforting as well. We had known my friend and her family for years, I think my parents felt a sense of betrayal that such a thing could happen. I remember my mom asking me, "What do you want to do." My response was that firstly, I wanted him to receive consequences spiritually for what he had done and I wanted to report the crime to his church leader. Secondly, I told my mom I wanted to report it, and third I told her I needed to tell my friend but didn't know how.

"If you report it to the police, they're not going to do anything to help you,"

Me and my Dad are fairly close and he means the world to me.
I value his friendship, his work ethic, and all that he has
done for me.

were the words my father said to me when we were discussing me reporting the crime to the police. I remember the mixture of vinegar and baking soda that exploded within my body when he said those words to me. Then I learned the harsh reality that most victims don't receive justice and my father along with most of the general public believed I wouldn't receive mine.

I remember driving to the police station by myself, with my thoughts racing wild and my friend continually calling my phone not understanding why I wouldn't answer her calls. As I walked into the Orem City Police Station, the lights in the main hallway were dim, and light shone into the room and traced a line along the floor up to the police desk. I slowly approached the desk. The female working there asked me what she could help me with. I said, I need to report a sexual abuse crime. She asked for who and I calmly responded, "Myself." I couldn't believe this was happening.

She asked me how recent the abuse was, I told her that it happened early this morning. She asked me to wait while she got an officer for me to speak to. My perception and reality of fear kicked in, after waiting anxiously for several minutes the officer came out and got me, and took me into a back room with a couch to speak with me and talk to me about what had happened. I tried to be calm, but I realized I was now scared to even explain to the cop in a room alone with him about what had happened to me.