Sexual Assault Victims

What to Do If You Were a Victim of a Sexual Assault

Sadly, sexual assaults happen to residents Massachusetts and throughout the country. Sexual assault cases often come to light after many years, years in which the victim spent suffering intense trauma while dealing with the pain of what happened to them. But if you’re a victim of sexual assault, hiring an attorney to bring your assailant to justice can help to end your silence.

Many sexual assault victims knew or trusted the individual that assaulted them. Sexual assaults happen in churches, day cares, camps, and sports teams, which are, sadly, the exact places where an individual should be safe from sexual predators. However, recent high-profile cases have revealed that these settings can sometimes have a hidden danger, and a horrible crime can be perpetrated on children, teenagers, and adults, both male and female, by the very people they thought they could trust.

Long-Term Effects of Sexual Assault

Sexual assault causes immediate physical trauma to its victims. Whether the victim is an adult or a child, they have a right to not be touched in a harmful or offensive manner by another person. However, sexual assaults carry the additional risk of long-lasting emotional trauma to their victims. The very experience of being sexually assaulted causes depression, anxiety, and severe post-traumatic stress in its victims. These conditions can make it difficult for the victim, in their adult life, to remain sober, earn a living, or engage in healthy relationships.

Many sexual assault victims deal with the additional emotional trauma of being assaulted by someone they trusted. Victims often don’t come forward with their stories because they feel as though no one will believe them, or they are threatened or discouraged by their assailant or the assailant’s company or organization. Victims of sexual assault are entitled to justice. Sometimes justice means prosecution of the individual for crimes against their victim. Sometimes justice means preventing sexual assault on future victims. And sometimes, especially in cases of systematic sexual assault that is denied or covered up by a church, school, or employer, justice means a settlement for the victims who have been permanently scarred by the assault.

Why You Need an Attorney to Represent You

When a victim comes forward with allegations of sexual assault and abuse, it can be emotionally difficult. The institution or person responsible for the abuse may deny that it happened, or call into question the victim’s motives for coming forward. They may try to intimidate the victim and get them to back down on their claims because they are more concerned about public relations than about justice for the victim. If you suffered sexual assault at some point in your life, you need a lawyer who will help you through the process. Attorney David Dwork is compassionate in his representation of assault victims, and he knows how to handle a sensitive issue and seek justice for his clients. If you are a victim of sexual assault, there’s no need to feel like you need to stay quiet. You deserve justice, and Attorney Dwork can help.