A Northwest Indiana woman is turning her trauma into positive change. Working to open a local rape crisis center after her own painful experience.
"Having my doctor tell me"you were raped" and hearing that word."She was just 19 years old, living in Laporte, when she says a friend of a friend who she invited to her house forced himself on her."The whole time I was thinking to myself I have no one I can't yell no one can hear me."Here's the problem: She was told the closest place she could go and meet an advocate was a hospital in Crown Point -- more than 50 miles away.
Easy access is a problem in rural communities across the country. Especially for young women and Indiana ranks 4th highest in the nation for the number of reported rapes among high school girls."Laporte is in dire need of a sexual assault crisis Center"A local businesses owner who helped her raise money by designing t-shirts towards opening the Lotus Sexual Assault Crisis Center.
"You start doubting themselves, but if something was closer, if they're passing it on their way to the store, I feel like they'd be more willing to go.""I want Lotus to be in every city that it possibly can be," Holzer said.That bill passed in the Senate just last week.