126. Derrick Hurley & Kaitlin Hurley-Fields; Part 2: Holding Nothing Back—The Story of Kaitlin’s Rape
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Release Date: 02/25/2025
155. Amanda Carrasco: Losing Everything, Finding Strength, and Becoming the Brave One
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
This captivating episode features Amanda Carrasco, also known as Amanda The Brave One, author of Becoming the Brave One; My Journey to Justice. Amanda’s story is one of unimaginable trauma and extraordinary resilience. She endured horrific sexual assaults and, while out of her home, suffered the devastating loss of her immediate family at the hands of another family member. Yet rather than allowing her trauma to define her, Amanda transformed her experiences into a platform for healing, education, and advocacy—helping survivors and professionals alike understand the realities of trauma...
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154. Caroline Markel: Big Changes Are Coming! What’s Next for Safe in Harm’s Way
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
It’s finally happened!!--I’m honored to welcome back Caroline Markel, Founder and CEO of Safe in Harm’s Way, for an in-depth conversation that’s both exciting and, yes!...exclusive! Over the past two-and-a-half years, Caroline and her organization have been evolving in significant ways, and this episode offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the changes, developments, and forward-thinking initiatives that few people outside her immediate circle have been privy to. In this episode, Caroline shares her perspectives with openness and transparency, discussing not only what has changed...
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153. Pastor Michael Neely: ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ Almost Killed Him—Now He Fights for Survivors
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
This week I had the privilege and pleasure of talking with Pastor Michael Neely, a man whose faith, courage, and resilience were tested in living his own personal marriage; that 15-year marriage nearly cost him his life. Michael now channels his pain into advocacy and works to turn churches into safe spaces and mentoring victims who once felt voiceless. And the really awesome part of all of this to me, is that his story is real, raw, gripping, and completely relevant to everything this podcast is about—and it will challenge everything you think you know about abuse, faith, and healing. I’m...
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152. Johnny Braun: What the World Refuses to See About Male Survivors
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
It was an amazing day for me when Johnny Braun sent me a DM on Instagram. It was short, it was succinct, and it made me want to talk to him. Here’s what he said: “Hey there Dave, if you’re looking for another person to be on your podcast, I’d like to be on an episode. I experienced childhood sexual abuse.” That was it…that’s what started an amazing conversation, and my decision to have him as a guest today. I could go on and on about how amazing I know Johnny is. But I think he would rather I tell you about what I know about male sexual assault as a “thing” that needs to be...
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151. C Kimberly Toms: From Victimization to Voice—Changing the System
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
151. C Kimberly Toms: From Victimization to Voice—Changing the System C Kimberly Toms. She’s a survivor of rape and attempted murder, a filmmaker, writer, and business consultant. In 2013, a hopeful job move to Milwaukee turned into a harrowing ordeal when she was raped and stalked by a U.S. Department of State special agent who eventually also attempted to murder her. For the last 12 years, Kimberly has endured relentless trauma, systemic failures, and intimidation. The absolutely worst experiences, however, inspired advocacy; Kimberly created her documentary Escaping Fed and founded...
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150. Whitney Vergés: Breaking Barriers in the Sex Industry
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
The importance of this podcast includes the critical component of continuing to amplify the voices of those who've survived the unimaginable. This week, the show marks a significant milestone—Episode 150—and it’s only fitting that I have a truly monumental guest, Whitney Vergés. Whitney’s story is one of incredible courage as she bravely shares her experience of being drugged and raped. But what makes her journey even more powerful is the context surrounding her assault. Whitney, who has worked in the adult entertainment industry as both a stripper and the manager of the strip club,...
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149. Ariel Sorensen: Surviving Sexual Assault and Navigating Justice Abroad
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Ariel Sorensen reached deep inside herself to muster the strength and fortitude to reach out to me to find out if she could share her gripping and harrowing tale of her rape and sexual assault during what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime to South Africa. Ariel and her male companion, strangers in a foreign land, were offered nightly accommodations by an elderly couple they had just met. The couple’s generous offer seemed harmless at first, but as Ariel recounts, it was part of a carefully orchestrated manipulation. Things got worse when she was invited to stay in a separate bedroom...
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148. Dave Markel: Reflections and Impacts
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
148. Dave Markel: Reflections and Impacts This week, since there’s not guest again, I want to take a moment to reflect on the growth and impact of the podcast. I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support from all my listeners, whose commitment has fueled the show's success and exponential growth. Whether long-time listeners or relatively new to the show, your passion and dedication are what have made SASS what it is today. I also want to emphasize the importance of normalizing the conversation around rape and sexual assault. By creating a safe space for survivors to share their...
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147. A Repeat of Episode 43: Cashaye Barrera—An Episode Worth Hearing Again!
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
147. A Repeat of Episode 43: Cashaye Barrera—An Episode Worth Hearing Again! Sometimes life throws us a curve ball when we least expect it, and it changes the trajectory of the path we were on. That’s what happened this week when a guest who was scheduled to record with me had some unexpected events thwart our scheduled appointment and we weren’t able to record. So, I made the decision to do something I have yet to do on this podcast, and that is to repeat a past episode. It didn’t take me anytime at all to decide which one: you are about to hear Episode 43 again: my adopted...
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146. Jessica Pride & Verna Griffin-Tabor: Co-Founders of Sirona Healing Center
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Welcome to Episode 146. It’s an honor and pleasure to introduce you to Sirona Healing Center of San Diego, CA. This episode features the two co-founders of Sirona, Jessica (Jess) Pride and Verna (Vee) Griffin-Tabor. Jess’s name may sound familiar to some of you who’ve been long-time listeners to SASS…she was my guest on Episode 44, in August, 2023. The reason I’m featuring Sirona Healing Center this week is two-fold: first, it’s a pleasure to have Jessica Pride back as a guest this week. Secondly, I am always pleased to present avenues of support and healing that my audience may...
info_outlineI want to share with you, again, the opening paragraph from Derrick Hurley’s website about the book he wrote: Antiguan Justice: A Father’s Fight… it’s important and powerful enough that it bears making sure you read it to emphasize the importance of not only the family’s stirring struggle to survive Kailin’s horrific rape, but also the extent that a loving father will go to help bring justice to his daughter:
Derrick Hurley, a devoted father, found himself in a heart-wrenching battle when his daughter, Kaitlin Hurley, fell victim to a harrowing crime in 2015. Kaitlin, a nursing student living in Antigua, endured a traumatic experience at the hands of a London police officer, Lee Martin-Cramp, who was visiting the island with his family. In his gripping and emotionally charged 220-page book, “Antiguan Justice: A Father’s Fight,” Derrick Hurley bares his soul, recounting the extraordinary odyssey he embarked upon when his daughter became the tragic victim of a heinous crime. (https://derrick-hurley.com/)
This episode is fascinating because it not only features Derrick’s ongoing struggle to get his daughter’s perpetrator extradited back to Antigua from England, but also Kaitlin’s personal story of a big portion of her healing process. The importance of her struggle can’t be overstated. Kaitlin gives her formidable and crucially important insights on her healing journey. I think the reason this portion of the episode is so powerful is because Kaitlin tells it in such a way that it makes you captivatingly aware of her raw strength and determination in pushing toward normalizing the conversation and her life. Truly, Kaitlin is the archetype of courage.
Thank you for being a SASS listener. Please subscribe to the show, then give it a five-star rating. This helps in the grand scheme of algorithms to increase the opportunity of more people to know about and listen to this important and powerful podcast. I hope you will also do your part to bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault. You can do that by sharing this episode with others, and that when you listen to others tell their story of rape or sexual assault, you’ll Start by Believing. Also, please follow the Instagram page of sexualassaultsurvivorstories. It also helps the show grow, which is what I hope to accomplish to help lessen the prevalence of rape and sexual assault, as well as the prevalence of rape culture that surrounds us all. It only takes a minute, and I truly appreciate your support.
And as always, listed below are some additional important and meaningful websites I hope you’ll take a look at and learn more about.
Thanks again for listening!
https://www.survivor-school.com
https://www.arcigrey.com/survivorschool