A documentary is being unveiled Tuesday night in St. Stephen that focuses on the tragic events in the lives of six girls, one of which is Rahteah Parsons.
Sandra Garrish, with the Charlotte County Abuse Prevention Network, tells us Rahteah’s mother, Leah Parsons will be there speaking on her daughter’s case, which gained international headlines after the Nova Scotia teen was sexually assaulted while intoxicated, bullied relentlessly on social media, and took her own life.
Garrish says bullying has taken a completely different turn the last few years, “Years ago, when you were bullied, it was often done in silence and you kept quiet for fear of the situation getting worse. Generally, you were safe in your own home, and you had a reprieve.” She says today, with the introduction of social media, home doesn’t always feel safe because you just need to turn on a computer, and the bullying is there.
Garrish says they wanted to move from awareness into prevention, so they brought in another guest speaker, Andrew Middleton, who is the CEO of Atlantic Youth Consulting. She says it’s a company that works with families, communities, and government agencies and really ties in great with the theme of this year’s Victims and Survivors Week, which the campaign is called “The Power in our Voices”.
The New Brunswick documentary “UnSlut” will be unveiled at the Garcelon Civic Center, Tuesday night, May 31st, at 7pm in St. Stephen.
Garrish says she especially wants men and boys to come to the event, as they play a big part in ending sexual assaults and bullying, and she hopes that the younger generation will become more involved if they see teenage boys defending women and treating them with respect.
For details on Victims and Survivors Week, or if you are looking for resources to help you own situation, go to victimsweek.gc.ca
