Trigger warning: This post deals with rape and sexual abuse, so may be triggering for some readers.
Michele* is 44 years old.
She’s a mother, a wife, and after one Friday night, she also became the survivor of rape.
Telling her story to news.com.au, Michele reveals the horrific details about the event that completely changed her life one night in a small coastal town in Australia.
Michele had just been looking forward to night out with her friends – away from the kids and her partner.
She remembers being at the pub when a group of men approached her friends to buy them drinks. They refused, but one kept persisting with her.
Is rape a male or female issue? We have a very clear opinion. (Post continues after video.)
She had very little interaction with him, she told news.com.au. But she remembers him giving her a drink, which she assumes she consumed.
Michele then continued onto a nightclub with one of her sons and his friends, planning to have one more drink.
There, she remembers seeing some men who looked “vaguely familiar” but much of the traumatic night is blurred for Michele. She can’t remember having particular drinks, and has been forced to connect the dots or guess at what she thinks happens.
Her son saw two men near her when she said she was getting a taxi home. Then, everything is a blank until she woke up in a hotel room.”
She was lying naked on a bed, surrounded by naked men. They repeatedly penetrated and sexually assaulted her. As they raped her, she fell in out and consciousness, the result of being drugged. She was rendered unable to speak or try to defend herself from their vicious attacks.
"I was unable to move."
She said she had "absolutely no control"over her body.
When Michele was eventually able to wake up and move, she grabbed her things and made her escape. As she left, one of the guys said to her, "Thanks for being a great sport with all of this."
It took her nearly a week to reconcile that she had been drugged and raped. Her fogged recollection of the events made it incredibly painful to report it to the police.
Thankfully, Michele did go the authorities to seek justice on what these terrible men did to her.
She spoke to news.com.au about her sexual assault and being drugged to highlight these horrific acts.
She has urged other victims report these crimes to police.
"By not reporting it, victims are allowing these guys to go unpunished and be free to go off and do it again to someone else."
If you or anyone you know has been the victim of a sexual assault. Help is available. Call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic, Family Violence Counselling Service 24/7 on 1800 737 732.
*Names have been changed for legal reasons.
Top Comments
As a survivor of a one glass of wine date rape a few New Years ago I'm sad to say I didn't report it! I was ashamed and blamed my own stupidity. I'm also familiar with our legal system which often puts the victim through much trauma and ridicule. I felt with little evidence and my word against his it wasn't worth putting myself through it all. In this day of technology I was also concerned what if they'd filmed it and made it public - I'm a professional. I justified my actions and now I live with those choices. I did however give him a 'hiding' the next day when the drugs wore off and almost broke his jaw thinking of all the other women who'd been betrayed by men like him! If the treatment of victims continues to change perhaps more victims of such assaults would come forward and make such reports.
I hope all of these disgusting monsters are caught and held accountable.
Thankyou for reporting to the authorities Michele and for sharing your story - you are so strong xxx