Silenced By A Secret Assault

In the military today one out of three women are likely to be raped according to Factors Associated With Women’s Risk Of Rape Military Environment. In 2011, 3,192 military sexual assaults were reported, an increase of 1% from fiscal year 2010 and 1.1% decrease from 2009 according to Department Of Defense. The numbers are staggering and are still on the rise. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, has estimated that the number of actual attacks is about six times the number reported.

These statistics are very real to Jachlin Williams an African American who served in the Air force for eight years. In 1987, Williams left the military with a painful secret. She had been sexually assaulted by a former military member who also served in the military with her. Holding on to this secret, Williams stated, “I was gullible.” She didn’t want to risk reporting to officials because she had a bad experience with security police.

The night of the incident Williams kept thinking with tears running down her face “This is not real.” Her pain was so real, in fact devastating. “It is wrong for someone to have to serve in her country and have to go through this,” Williams expressed.

However, Williams triumphed. “After years of therapy and the passing of my daughter, my spirit was so heavy with junk, I needed to face that,” Williams stated.

On the road to recovery, she saw a movie called the Invisible War. “When I saw the movie, I felt that I could share my story.  It gave me courage.”

Williams knew that this was her opportunity to share her story and bring attention to this problem by promoting this movie. And she did just that; the local VFW in her city provided the funds for her to host the movie.  Showing the movie was important to her heart. She didn’t want to see another woman go through her experience.

After watching the movie, many women stood up and told their stories. This really gives her courage because she knows she is helping other women become survivors.  As of today, she has had five hosting of the Invisible war and plans to have more in the future.

Williams truly has turned her test into a testimony. She thinks of herself as a survivor, not a victim. “When I hear the word victims, it gives my accuser power. When I hear the word survivor, it gives me power,” Williams stated. The biggest lesson that that Williams learned from this experience is she is a survivor and wants to live. Williams takes life one day at a time, and every day she is getting stronger.