149. Ariel Sorensen: Surviving Sexual Assault and Navigating Justice Abroad
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Release Date: 08/05/2025
175. Amy Watson & HASSL: What You Allow Is What Continues
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
There are some episodes of this show that don’t revolve around a single survivor story, but they still land just as hard—because they force us to look at ourselves. This is one of those conversations. It’s not about recounting trauma; it’s about what allows harm to keep happening in everyday spaces, and what it actually takes to interrupt that. This episode asks questions most people would rather avoid, and it does so in a way that’s direct, practical, and impossible to brush off. My conversation with Amy Watson was exactly that kind of dialogue. We talked about prevention,...
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174. Gemini: First the Assault. Then Saprea.
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
There’s a distinctive aspect to this show that makes it different from most podcasts in this genre, and I consider it a privilege and honor to recognize those of you who make it that way. Sexual Assault Survivor Stories is not built around celebrity guests, polished talking points, or rehearsed narratives. It exists because of something far more rare and far more meaningful—trust. Again and again, people who begin as listeners reach out, not to be heard for the sake of attention, but because they’re finally ready to speak their truth in a space that feels safe enough to hold it. What...
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173. Beth: When “Normal” was Actually Rape and Sexual Assault
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Beth is a survivor who reached out to me after realizing that memories she once believed were long buried were anything but inconsequential. As she explains, those memories began resurfacing as she engaged in EMDR—Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing—with her therapist, opening the door to a deeper understanding of what she had endured. (It’s amazing what a good sexual assault/rape therapist can do for clients!) Beth shares her experience inside a coercive and controlling relationship that ultimately included rape, and how that environment systematically eroded her self-image,...
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172. Erica: When a Husband’s Power Became Sexual Violence
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
In this episode I sit down with Erica, a survivor whose experience exposes the devastating reality of coercive control, rape, and sexual assault within a marriage. Erica reached out to share not only what she endured, but the long and difficult process of recognizing abuse, breaking free from it, and beginning her healing journey. This conversation examines how power and control can operate quietly and persistently—how manipulation, exploitation, and sexual violence are often obscured by relationship roles, social expectations, and silence. Erica speaks candidly about what it took to escape...
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171. Dave Markel: When Showing Up Means Slowing Down
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Today, this episode is a brief reflection from me, recorded as a pause in the regular rhythm of the show. Rather than a guest interview, I’m speaking directly to you, my listeners, about the weight of trauma-informed work, the importance of rest, and what it means to show up honestly when the work feels heavy. For survivors, professionals, and advocates alike, this episode is a reminder that healing is not linear, strength is not measured by endurance alone, and slowing down is sometimes the most responsible choice. Regular guest episodes of Sexual Assault Survivor Stories will resume next...
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170. What Stayed With Us: The Conversations From 2025 We Couldn’t Shake
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
As this year comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect, not with a countdown or a highlight reel, but with intention. This episode brings together a handful of powerful moments from conversations released in 2025 that truly captured what Sexual Assault Survivor Stories is about: survivor courage, hard truths, clarity around trauma, and the willingness to sit with conversations that don’t offer easy answers. The clips you’ll hear were chosen using a hybrid approach—listener engagement, impact, and significance. They include moments from conversations with Rachel...
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169. Shannon Porter: "What They Don’t Say" Is in The House...and The Social Media Reels People Can’t Ignore
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
I’m happy to announce that I’m joined once again by Shannon Porter, host and co-founder of the What They Don’t Say podcast. Shannon returns to talk about the evolution of her work, her growing presence on social media, and what’s driving her to speak more openly, and more frequently, about the realities of surviving rape and sexual assault. Our conversation centers on the reels and posts Shannon is producing to help shed light on what survivors face every day: how people respond when a survivor shares their story, the misunderstandings that follow trauma, and the emotional labor...
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168. Marina Lacerda: When Epstein Power, Money, and Rape Collided — and She Survived
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
For decades, Marina was known only as “Minor Victim-1” in legal documents — a label that stripped away her humanity while protecting those responsible. In this conversation, Marina reclaims what was taken from her: her voice, her story, and her identity. She speaks not just about what happened, but about what it costs to survive abuse at that scale — the trauma that lingers, the mistrust that settles in the body, and the long road back to agency and truth. This episode is not sensational, and it is not speculative. It is grounded in lived experience and courageous truth-telling....
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167. Erin Williamson: Love146 — Pulling Children Back from the Darkness
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
Erin Williamson joins me for an incredibly important conversation about her work with Love146, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children from human trafficking and walking alongside young survivors on their path to healing. Erin shares what this work truly looks like — not the headlines, but the day-to-day reality of survivor care, long-term recovery, and prevention education — and how essential it is to understand trafficking as a real issue affecting real children in communities across the country. We discuss the profound impact trafficking has on children’s brains,...
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166. Jason Patrick Berry: Secrets Beneath a Perfect Childhood
Sexual Assault Survivor Stories Podcast - SASS
This week on Sexual Assault Survivor Stories, I sit down with Jason Patrick Berry, author of the brave and unflinchingly honest memoir Secrets Beneath. Jason’s story is one that quietly breaks your heart and then slowly helps rebuild it. On the outside, his childhood looked perfectly normal, even picturesque. But behind closed doors lived a painful reality of abuse, secrecy, and survival that no child should ever have to experience. In Secrets Beneath, Jason pulls back that veil and walks us through the lasting impact of trauma, including post trauma stress, anxiety, and emotional...
info_outlineAriel 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 from her friend, a decision that, in hindsight, proved to be catastrophic. Ariel’s is a story of trust betrayed: revealing the devastating reality that grooming tactics aren’t just used on children—they can be directed at adults as well.
Ariel’s narrative goes beyond the details of the assault itself, exposing us to her emotional aftermath and the challenges of navigating a foreign justice system. She bravely describes the complexities she faced while reporting the crime in South Africa, highlighting the systemic obstacles that many survivors encounter when seeking justice abroad. One of the most impressive elements of Ariel's experience is that she advocated for herself in ways she herself wasn’t even aware she could! And Ariels is another prime example of why I continually emphasize the need for trauma-informed care in these situations, as well as the vital role of support systems in helping survivors begin their healing journey.
Throughout this episode, Ariel emphasizes how her story can help others who may have suffered similar experiences. She also shares her thoughts on the importance of raising awareness about grooming tactics and the ways perpetrators manipulate their victims. As Ariel explains, understanding these behaviors is crucial in preventing future assaults and empowering individuals to recognize when they are being manipulated. Plus, her insights into the South African criminal justice system and the healing process offer invaluable lessons not only for survivors but for anyone looking to better understand the complexities of sexual violence. This is an episode full of learning points…start to finish!
Ariel's bravery in sharing this painful chapter of her life speaks volumes about the resilience of survivors. Her story shines a light on the emotional, legal, and societal challenges that come with surviving sexual assault, while offering hope and healing to those who have faced similar struggles. I am super-impressed with Ariel’s compelling and courageous account; it’s prime example of from her journey toward justice and healing, and she joins me in the mission of normalizing the conversation. And she’s an awesome example of someone who found out what can happen when you’re a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and you reach out to me for a platform to tell your story.
An important side note: if you’re finding value in these episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, please send me a note of support. I can’t tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. Here’s my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already!! Please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you!
On another note: I am a strong advocate and supporter of Survivor School (SS), founded and directed by CEO Arci Grey (another former guest on SASS). In fact, Arci has made me a consultant to SS as she maneuvers the intricacies of directing and managing the content and growth of her amazing organization. I encourage you to strongly consider becoming a member of SS, and as an affiliate would appreciate it, if you do decide to become a member, to use this link: https://www.survivor-school.com/free?ref=SASS
Thanks again for listening! As always, listed below are some additional important and meaningful websites I hope you’ll take a look at and learn more about.
https://www.whattheydontsay.com
https://www.survivor-school.com/?ref=DAVEMARKEL
My email address:
As mentioned and emphasized, it’s time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault.
Thank you for tuning in.