Attacked and accused of lying – my long fight for the truth

受到攻击并被指控撒谎——我为真相而进行的长期斗争

The Outlook Podcast Archive

新闻

2022-02-16

39 分钟
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Donna Palomba's life changed in September 1993, when she was sexually assaulted in her family home in Connecticut. A month after the attack, Donna was called to the local police station and accused of making the assault up by the officer in charge of her case. It was a devastating blow but Donna was determined to clear her name and get justice. It would take years and several court cases before her attacker was arrested and his identity sent shockwaves through Donna’s family and community. As a result of her experience Donna founded Jane Doe No More, a non-profit organisation called Jane Doe No More which empowers survivors of sexual crimes to find their voice, advance their healing and educate others. A warning that what Donna describes is shocking and at times distressing. Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com Presenter: Anu Anand Producer: Tom Harding Assinder (Photo: Donna Palomba. Credit: Christine Petit)
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  • Welcome to Outlook, the home of inspiring personal stories from around the world.

  • I'm Anu Anand.

  • Today's episode begins with a brutal crime, one that shattered a family.

  • Security divided a community.

  • But eventually, because of my guests actions, improved the way police deal with victims of sexual violence.

  • Donna Palumba has had to describe her attack many times in the 30 years since it happened.

  • To police, to journalists, but also in court as recently as 2020.

  • What you'll hear is shocking and at times distressing.

  • But Donna feels it's important to share it to help others.

  • We start in 1993.

  • Donna was a happily married mother of two children living in the small, friendly city of Waterbury, Connecticut, in America's northeast.

  • Both my husband and I were born and raised in Waterbury.

  • It was mostly a manufacturing town.

  • Very close knit groups of people.

  • You know, you knew your neighbors, everyone looked out for one another and it was a great place to raise our young family.

  • So tell me about the evening of September 10, 1993.

  • Where had you been?

  • What had you guys been doing?

  • So it was early September and a few months prior to that, we had gotten an invitation to go to a friend's wedding out in Breckenridge, Colorado.

  • And we had never been to Breckenridge.