Last night I participated in the annual 'Take Back the Night' rally and walk through the streets of downtown Hamilton. Sitting on a bench waiting for the event to start, a woman told me that although this was the first time she was attending TBTN, she strongly believed in the need to claim back the streets as places where women can safely walk. She told me of being dragged off a sidewalk into an alley and raped and stabbed 30 years ago. She recalled that after the attack another man saw her distress and accompanied her to the local emergency department where she received treatment and follow-up with the police. The perpetrator was found, convicted and sent to jail.
It was interesting to hear that today, some 30 years later, she cannot recall how long he was in jail yet she recalls with clarity and gratitude the kindness of the stranger who helped her get to the hospital. "If that kind Samaritan had not helped me, I would not ever have been able to move forward".
The power of one!
Nancy Sullivan, CSJ