SHERIDAN — A few months ago, Sheridan resident Jamie Farmer became a victim of sexual assault. The traumatic experience was made worse by having to share her story in uncomfortable settings repeatedly.
"Every time you go to these places and have to, like, you know, tell your story again. It's like you're literally reliving it all," Farmer said.
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According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, for every 1,000 sexual assaults, less than a third are reported. Farmer believes it has to do with the investigation process.
"I went into the interview, obviously very emotional, and came out frustrated because it was almost like he didn't believe me," Farmer said about her investigation experience
One significant thing that held her back was the space where she would share her story.
"You're in a police officer's office. It's not calming. It literally feels like you're more of a suspect versus a victim at that point of time," Farmer said.
After hearing from Farmer, the Sheridan Police Department got right to work building a new space for victims to feel more comfortable.
"When you have somebody who has gone through a traumatic event, it's best to have something like this," said Coy Monroe, Sheridan Police Department's assistant chief.
"We've had to realize that we need to tone things back a little bit when you have a victim that's really kind of stressed out and hurting," Monroe said.
The new space includes comfort items designed to help victims feel at ease during interviews.
"They have fidgets in here for anxiety. They have, you know, blankets, and I can tell this is just gonna make a huge difference," Farmer said.
As she looked at the space named after her, Farmer shared hope that other victims will feel encouraged to report their experience.
"I pray every single person that walks through this door is heard just the way I was," Farmer said.
The Indiana Coalition against Domestic Violence has numerous partner organizations across central Indiana that work with survivors of physical and sexual abuse.
A full list of providers based on region can be found on their website.
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Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.
