CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A New York Times investigation shares the stories of several women and girls who say they were abused by Cesar Chavez.
For 95-year-old Dolores Huerta, her silence came at a cost. Huerta kept the abuse a secret because the farm workers movement she had worked so hard to build with Chavez was bigger than her pain.
Huerta said she also stayed quiet because police already had a negative perception of the farm workers movement.
It can take several years or even decades for victims to speak up. Dr. Kate Rodriguez, a counselor at My Healing Center, told me victims of sexual abuse stay quiet for several reasons.
"Finding your voice can be so tough, to speak up about what is happening to you it's difficult," Rodriguez said.
"The system doesn't believe victims, they shame victims, they don't treat them fairly," Rodriguez said.
"They get labeled as difficult, or people misunderstand them they want them to fit a certain victim mentality," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said in the Hispanic community, speaking out about sexual abuse can sometimes be taboo.
"You need to just suck it up, you need to be stronger, get over it. If you speak up you're going to ruin his life. It's going to be so hard for us to get you a good match because you're going to be seen damaged," Rodriguez said.
According to RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, less than three percent of sexual assault cases result in felony convictions. One in every six women and one in every 33 men have experienced rape or attempted rape.
Rodriguez said when someone experiences an assault, their nervous system kicks in.
"Fight, flight, freeze, fawn. I have many women who said that while they were being assaulted they froze and they stopped fighting and when you look at the situation many times that saves their lives," Rodriguez said.
The biggest advice Rodriguez wants to give sexual abuse victims is to find someone they can trust and tell them.
"Have somebody in your corner that does know you and trust you and will help you through it whether it's a professional or somebody just close to you but definitely not just holding on to that shame and all those feelings that come with it inside," Rodriguez said.
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual abuse, dial the National Sexual Assault Hot-line at 1-800-656-4673.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
