Post 5: Survivors, We Believe You. We Stand With You.
By Tina Winterlik // Zipolita
🛑 [CONTENT WARNING]
This post discusses sexual assault, trauma, and survivorship. It offers support and solidarity, but may be difficult to read. Please prioritize your emotional well-being.
To the survivor —
To every survivor —
This post is for you.
You are not alone.
We saw what happened.
We heard what you said.
And we know the truth didn’t vanish just because the courtroom said "not guilty."
We believe you.
We believe your body.
We believe your voice — even when it shakes.
🫂 You Were Brave Every Step of the Way
You stood in front of a nation that didn’t want to listen.
You watched powerful institutions protect abusers.
You were made to explain your pain — again and again —
While your rapists hid behind lawyers, silence, and each other.
And still, you spoke.
That is courage.
🧠If You’re a Survivor Reading This
And this trial brought up old pain, memories you buried, moments you escaped —
You’re not crazy.
You’re not alone.
And you didn’t deserve it. Not then. Not now. Not ever.
🕸️ You Are Part of a Bigger Web of Truth
You may never get a trial.
You may never say it out loud.
You may never want to tell a soul.
And you’re still valid.
You’re still believed.
You survived something most people couldn’t handle.
And you’re still here.
That is your victory.
That is your strength.
💬 What We Need to Keep Saying
- To survivors: You matter. You deserve peace. You are not defined by what they did.
- To the public: Believe survivors. Full stop.
- To institutions: Reform, or step aside.
- To abusers: We see you. We will name you. We will not be silent.
- To ourselves: We must build a world where this never happens again.
🌱 Final Words
This series is not the end.
This is a beginning — a space where truth is protected.
Where survivors are lifted, not interrogated.
Where community replaces broken systems.
Where protection comes from each other, not corrupted courts.
To E.M. — and to everyone reading who sees a piece of their pain in her story:
We believe you.
We see you.
We stand with you.
And we will not let them forget.
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