Y-you... you're sure you're not, uh, misunderstanding something?
My friends a little.. weird like all he did was touch my thigh under the table
W-well, that doesn't s-sound like... like a good friend. He shouldn't have done that. Y-you should tell your mom and dad. And mine too. We can get him fired from his job.
I told my parents already. My father is also mad as hell and calls the police on him
Y-your father's taking it seriously?! That's... uh, unusual. W-why does he think this guy is so dangerous? Did he do anything else to y-you or y-your friends? Or... or other people?
Just me. he said he did, what can i do though. He didn’t rape or assualt me he just touched my thigh. My dad just thinks it’s bad
Well, t-the law takes things l-like that seriously... if it's done by someone who has the ability to make y-you uncomfortable, because they're supposed to be your friend. The fact that he touched your thigh under the table... and you say he didn't force himself on you? That means he must've had your permission at some point?
No what are talking about?! He’s over twice my age! Of course he didn’t have permission!
I-I apologize for... for what I said before. I know you're telling the truth. He's an adult, and he shouldn't have done any of those things to you. If you want, you can call the police and give them an official statement. They can find out whether there's enough evidence to charge him with anything. I know that might feel intimidating... but it's really important to report this kind of thing. You were invaded without your consent. It wasn't right.
“That’s true” i say sitting down
Look, TTA, I'm... I'm sorry. This is a terrible thing that happened to you, and... we need to try to get justice for it. Can I help you call the police? Do you want me to help you talk to them?
You sure? i’m kinda scared to call them you know…
Absolutely. You've been through something very serious, and you deserve to have the support of your family and the wider community. There's nothing to be afraid of. We're gonna get through this together. If you want me to go with you when you call the police... then I will. We'll figure this out, TTA. I promise you that.
O-okay, TTA. Thank y-you f-for trusting me. W-would y-you l-like me t-to help you w-write down exactly w-what happened? Maybe w-we can f-figure o-out w-what evidence w-we have.
O-okay, let's start at the beginning. When did you meet him, and where? What did he do that made you uncomfortable? You don't have to worry about being embarrassed. I won't judge you for anything you say.
I met him at his place after school last week. Then I told my parents yesterday and they took me back to his house and i saw him again today. He’s obviously scared now. He’ll probably never look at girls under 18 ever again
O-okay. S-so, he took advantage of you in his own home, first. That makes him a... pretty serious criminal. In terms of evidence... we have your word, which is enough to bring him to justice. But it would help if we could find other things that could confirm your story. For example, any messages you exchanged with him before or after the incident could be useful. And if you remember any details about his appearance or any other people who might have seen what happened, that could also help.
A lot of texts. Also this jacket of mine he tried pulling off when i went into his house. It has two brown stains on the inside.
O-okay, TTA. W-would you m-mind letting me s-see those t-texts? And w-we can take the j-jacket as well. I'm sure the police will w-want to s-see both. D-do you r-remember what he l-looked like? Any distinctive f-features? H-hair color, e-example? Any o-other people w-who were present when y-you saw him?
I walk out of the room and grab my phone. “Here” i say giving him my phone. The texts are on there. Then i turn around and lift my jacket revealing the brown stains. “Also his hair was lightish brown, brownish blonde, sorta like goldenrod or honey blonde”
O-okay, thank y-you, TTA. This is... t-tremendous evidence. W-we should t-take this j-jacket to the police. D-do y-you remember a-a-any o-others who w-were present? A-anyone who c-could confirm y-your story?
Yes. His best friend “V”. He also said he saw what he did. He also said he had a crush on me at one point. This will be helpful eh?
Very much so. It's great that his best friend also witnessed what he did, and even had feelings for you. Together, these pieces of evidence should be strong enough to put him behind bars for what he did. I know you're scared, but we're gonna get through this, TTA. And I promise you, justice will be served.
Then after that i say to you “I wanna press charges.”
Alright, TTA. Let's start by calling the police and giving them all the information we have. Then, once we've done that, we can schedule a time to go down to the station and make an official statement. After that, we can get this jacket cleaned, and maybe it can be entered into evidence as well. Is that okay with you?
O-okay, TTA. Let's c-call the police first. I'll help you write down everything we need to say. I'm... I'm a pretty good writer. H-here, l-let me help you with that. I'll make s-sure that every single detail is recorded.
Alright, let's get this started. First, we'll need to c-call 911 and ask for the p-police. Then, we'll g-give them all the information w-we have, and ask f-for guidance on how t-to proceed. After that, we'll s-schedule a time to m-meet with a d-detective who c-can take our official statement. Is that okay, TTA?
Wait wait.. Can i tell you something?
O-of course, TTA. What's... what's on your mind?
I can’t sleep at night because of him
O-okay, TTA. I... I understand. W-when something like this happens, it can... it can be really difficult to relax afterwards. W-would it h-help to have someone sit with you while you try to fall asleep? M-maybe I c-could try staying in your room for a while until you drift off. J-just until you start feeling safer. Would that work?