WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Sexual assault survivors and advocates are speaking out about what is at stake in the next election: A six-week abortion ban in most instances will stand as law unless at least 60% of voters approve Amendment 4 in November.
On Tuesday, a “Survivor Experience” event to recognize the Day of Action took place in West Palm Beach to simulate a sexual assault victim's journey from the time of their assault to when legal action is taken. Palm Beach County Victim Services put together the event in West Palm Beach.
Attending the event was Ashley Smith, a sexual assault survivor, who said she volunteered for the National Organization of Women for Florida to help get an abortion-rights amendment on the ballot.
"In my opinion abortion is health care," Smith said. "I can't imagine not having access to an abortion and that's the world we currently live in."
According to Smith, Palm Beach County collected the most signatures for the campaign and urges people to 'Vote yes on 4' come election day.
"We saw over a million Floridians come out to get that on the petition," Smith said. "We did it in a matter of eight months. I believe that we will be successful for 'Yes on 4.' "
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It was the first year of the "Survivor Experience."
There was a display of clothing worn by sexual assault victims of the moment they were assaulted to show the diversity of people and situations sexual assault can happen.
"We have had 12-year-olds come through, 13-year-olds. We have seen unfortunately sexual assaults, mostly familial, that have resulted in a pregnancy," Nicole Bishop, the director for Palm Beach County's Victim Services Department, said.
The center focuses on helping sexual assault victims, but they also connect women to resources who may be impacted by that abortion ban.
"Sometimes victims do come forward after the initial six weeks because they don’t know that they’re pregnant," Bishop said. "Say that we look at the case of a 12-year-old girl who they don’t know what the signs or symptoms are. They may not even know that what was happening to them was wrong."
Sexual assault pregnancies are on the list of exceptions for abortions but the center said that the planning process takes delicate time.
"In the private work I've done and things like that, people feel rushed to make these decisions and time is limited. It feels too limited to them,” Janiffer Diaz, a licensed therapy coordinator for the Victims Services Department, said.
Voting in favor of the abortion ballot measure would extend the six-week ban to about 24 weeks.
"If they’re outside of the window they should have access to the care they need and that should be a decision made between themselves and their doctor," Smith said.
Smith said she suffered sexual abuse starting at the age of 4 and said she was raped five years ago when she was on vacation.
"I think that this is a beautiful representation of the care that can be given," Smith said. "I didn't have an advocate during my first exam. I had to experience holes that are in the system in regards to it being overwhelmed depending on where you are."
The six-week abortion ban is set to go into effect on May 1.
If you need help from the victim services center, you can call the 24-hour helpline at 561-833-7273