Dear Crow’s Nest,
It is time for me to no longer be silenced by your newspaper.
You have written a total of six articles about my sexual assault case, which took place between Sept. 28 and 29, 2016. Freedom of speech is one thing, but enough is enough. You have disrespected me and positively portrayed my abuser, Samuel Goetz, over and over again. Your news team violated my privacy by coming to my dorm room and questioning me. You have continued to bring up traumatic details of the case with a seeming lack of regard for my healing and the feelings of the many sexual assault survivors on our campus. As a newspaper, I ask that you reevaluate your ethical and moral boundaries, rather than use my story as your hot take on #MeToo.
I have felt silenced over and over about what I could or could not say to people during this case. You continue to protect the defendant while calling me “contradictory.” These “contradictory” texts were to initially meet up with Goetz and get him to apologize and admit to his behavior as he said he would in a phone call. Still in shock, I was trying to make peace over the situation without involving the school or police. I was in my first semester of college, away from home and family. I was just raped, and I knew how hard it would be to prove that. This meeting never occurred, as Goetz cowered and could not take responsibility for the trauma he caused me, which ultimately led me to report.
Now, years later, with this all said and done, I have no reason to be silenced by your bullying source of news anymore. USF St. Petersburg did everything right in my case, and Goetz admitted to the crime both in written statements and verbally to the Student Conduct Board. This letter is to bring awareness to your staff of the impact your articles have on the emotional well-being of others. I have cried many times over the things said about me and hoped that the news coverage would stop so that I may heal.
Every day I wish that I would have gotten a rape kit done. Every day I wish that I would have pressed criminal charges. Every day I wish this didn’t happen to me, but it did and now all I can do is be there for others. Naya Payne has started the Sexual Assault Survivors Support club on campus as a way to support women and men of assault and harassment.
Sincerely,
Jane Roe
